Budget: “Only thing increasing under this Government is crime”

“This Government continues to choke Policing of the funding it so desperately deserves.”

That’s the reaction of Chairman Steve Taylor to the Budget 2018 announcement yesterday. “Bitterly disappointed and yet not surprised,” said Steve. “It appears the only thing increasing under this Government is crime, as funding, morale, and satisfaction in the police drop and austerity continues unabated.”

During the Budget, there was no new money announced for frontline policing with the only reference to the service being a £160m investment to maintain specialist counter terrorism provision – less than half of the £420m the Government has allocated to deal with pot holes.

Steve added: “This Government would rather the hole in the street be repaired than have the police to patrol the community, and people think the Conservatives are the party of the Police – not under this leader they aren’t.”