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This Tory Government cannot spin its way out of a police funding crisis – Abbott
Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, speaking in response to the announcement of the police funding grant, said:
“This Tory Government cannot spin its way out of a police funding crisis.
“The truth is that today’s announcement means a real terms cut to the police grant. Since 2010 the Tories have made huge cuts to the police, 20,000 police officers have been lost and an increasing number of overstretched forces say they cannot respond to certain crimes.
“Ministers have chosen to hammer the local taxpayer but the Communities Secretary admitted this will raise little under half of the real-terms cuts facing local forces. Further cuts in police officer numbers are now inevitable.
“Labour will protect police funding to keep communities safe.”
The Conservatives’ part-privatisation of probation has been a costly failure – Imran Hussain
Imran Hussain MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Minister, responding to the National Audit Office investigation into changes to Community Rehabilitation Company contracts, said:
“This is yet more evidence of how the Conservatives’ part-privatisation of probation has been a costly failure that is placing the public at greater risk.
“The Government was warned that this privatisation would fail but it carried on regardless.
“As a result hundreds of millions of pounds are being wasted bailing out private probation companies which are not even meeting basic performance targets. The Conservatives should follow Labour’s lead and begin a review into how and when it will return these probation services to public control.”
Local government is under enormous pressure because of politically motivated Tory cuts – Gwynne
Andrew Gwynne MP, Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, responding to the Local Government Finance Settlement announced in the House of Commons by Sajid Javid, Communities and Local Government Secretary, said:
“Local government is under enormous pressure because of politically motivated Tory cuts that have hit the poorest areas hardest since 2010. Local councils have seen their budgets slashed by 40 per cent since the Tories came to power.
“The council tax precept has already proven to be an inadequate and short-term sticking plaster for a problem which needs long-term answers. Shifting the burden on to council tax payers creates a postcode lottery in services with the most deprived authorities suffering most.
“This Conservative Government won’t stand up for working people and ordinary families are paying the price as councils are forced to cut services to fill the gap. We need to elect as many Labour Councillors as possible on the 3rd May next year to stand up against these unfair Tory cuts.”