Labour

The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are leaving police in limbo - Cooper

On a visit to Clapham Junction and to Lavender Hill Police station, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP will meet with police officers of all ranks and with local residents to discuss the ongoing implications of last month’s riots.

She will also highlight the Tory-led Government backing away from the Prime Minister’s clear commitment to support the Metropolitan police, and forces across the country, in meeting the extra policing costs associated with the disturbances.

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said:

"It is shocking that at a time like this the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are leaving police forces across the country in limbo, seriously concerned that the cuts they are already struggling with have been made even worse.

“This summer we needed the police on our streets and they did an incredible job. But now when the Metropolitan Police has a minimum £34 million bill in extra policing costs, at a time when they are already set to lose nearly 2,000 officers, the Government has abandoned them.

"We contacted the Home Secretary two weeks ago to ask if the Prime Minister’s pledge to ‘stand behind’ the extra costs for police forces was going to be met, but the only response has been stony silence.

"The Prime Minister needs to keep his promise and overrule the Home Secretary. The police need to know they have the resources and backing to keep the streets safe both now and in future months. David Cameron must urgently clarify where forces stand, and reopen the police spending review which is currently resulting in the loss of over 16,000 officers nationwide.”