Fed Chair: I’d like to ask the Home Sec when he is going to address unfair funding in the UK

MAKE police funding fairer and more up to date – that’s the message from Essex Police Federation to Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Federation Chairman Steve Taylor says the force has suffered ‘for too long’ from the unfair funding system used by the Government to fill regional force’s coffers.

The Police Federation of England and Wales Conference – originally scheduled for June – has been cancelled so Steve has been unable to ask a question of Mr Javid.

However he has his question.

“I would ask him at what point are you going to stop passing the buck of funding for police to the local taxpayer and address the grossly unfair national funding formula?” Steve said.

“Essex is historically the poorest funded police force in the country if you take out the City of London when you combine our Home Office and our council tax precepts.

“And whilst we have historically had a low council tax precept and we’re taking steps to improve that locally, it’s not fair that we suffer unfairly with the amount of grant we get from central government because of the way that formula is devised. It’s not done fairly. It’s not done reasonably. And that’s not fair.”