Boris Johnson’s deputy mayor for policing has teamed up with five out of London police and crime commissioners to threaten legal action over changes to policing funding in England and Wales.
Forces across the two nations have already seen deep cuts to their budgets as part of the Government’s austerity regime and further cuts are now expected.
The group, which includes deputy mayor Stephen Greenhalgh and the police and crime commissioners for the Merseyside, North Yorkshire and Thames Valley forces, say a Home Office consultation on changes to how police funding is allocated was “deeply flawed”.
They’re threatening to seek a judicial review unless ministers drop the plans which will see many forces receive less grant funding, although some will gain from the changes.
In the letter the group say they “recognise and agree with the need to reform the current police funding formula arrangements” but that the government’s proposals are “unfair, unjustified and deeply flawed”.
London’s Metropolitan Police would lose £184m in annual funding on top of any reductions arising from the government’s latest spending review, the results of which will be announced later this month.
Mayor Boris Johnson has previously warned that any further cuts to police budgets could force him to increase his share of council tax to raise more money for the Met.
Calling for the review to be “halted immediately,” the letter’s signatories say it should be “redesigned to give forces and Commissioners the information and time they need to make a proper and fair assessment of its consequences on behalf of their communities.”
Ministers have insisted that even after budget cuts all forces will still have the resources to do their work.
