Labour’s cuts to police funding are gutting our forces across the country with 25 less officers in North Yorkshire, eroding the safety of our local community.
New figures reveal that police numbers have dropped by 1,316 officers. That is 1,316 officers who could have been on our streets, protecting our neighbourhoods, investigating crime, and backing up overstretched teams, but aren’t because Labour will never back the badge. And the recruitment crisis is deepening, as the number of new joiners has plummeted by 17 per cent in just one year. This is a catastrophic drop when every force is crying out for new recruits.
Unfortunately, today’s statistics are not a surprise and alongside police forces nationwide, the Conservatives have consistently been raising the alarm. Police forces have been faced with a funding blackhole of at least £118 million from the Police Funding Settlement, the equivalent of 1,800 police jobs. And that’s before you even factor in Labour’s £230 million Jobs Tax, money that could pay for 3,600 officers, now swallowed by tax hikes.
The Conservatives delivered the highest number of police officers in British history - recruiting 20,000 more and increasing police budgets to £18.4 billion, a 30 per cent cash increase since 2019. The Conservatives kept their promise and they delivered results. Labour is now reversing that progress, and it’s the public who will pay the price.
This is a damming indictment of Labour’s first year in office. Their decisions in Westminster are hitting home here in Thirsk and Malton with 25 fewer police officers across our police force, weakening frontline policing and putting local safety at risk.
I will do all I can to hold this failing Labour Government and our failing Labour Mayor to account to ensure you and your family feel safe within the local community.
Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said:
“The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens and that starts with policing.
“Labour have slashed budgets, hiked taxes, and left forces with a £350 million black hole. Today, we have seen the direct result with over 1,300 officers gone, recruitment down 17 per cent, and 5,400 police jobs at risk at the very moment knife crime is surging and confidence is collapsing.
“Labour have taken a sledgehammer to the record officers, record funding, and real results the Conservatives delivered in Government.”
