A government funding announcement for Lincolnshire Police has drawn criticism from the county's police and crime commissioner, who described it as "very disappointing." The force has been allocated £173.2 million for 2025, reflecting an increase of £8.9 million compared to the previous year. Notably, slightly more than half of this increment will come from Home Office grants, with £4.1 million sourced from anticipated increases in council tax bills, which are expected to rise by £14 on average.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated the government was providing "a substantial increase" to police forces. Nonetheless, police and crime commissioner Marc Jones pointed out the grim reality: Lincolnshire remains the worst-funded police force in the country, facing projections of £57 million deficit over the next four years. This modest overall funding rise, comprising both Home Office grants and council tax contributions, translates to just 5.5 percent, ranking it as one of the lowest increases across England along with Nottinghamshire.
"There is still much detail to work through, and we are currently crunching the numbers to gain a comprehensive view of what the announcement signifies for Lincolnshire Police," remarked Jones. He emphasized the concerning fact: "Despite already being the lowest funded force, Lincolnshire has received the smallest increase, which is very disappointing." Collaboratively with Chief Constable Paul Gibson, Jones is pushing for the government to recognize the significant challenges facing the county.
Meanwhile, Cooper announced the provisional funding settlement of £17.4 billion for police forces across England and Wales for 2025-26. This announcement included plans for additional funding of £230 million to assist with increased employer National Insurance contributions and £100 million to recruit 13,000 neighborhood officers, community support officers, and special constables aimed at bolstering community safety. While this appears promising on the surface, Chief Constable Paul Sanford of the National Police Chiefs' Council warned about the challenges this settlement poses. He highlighted the looming £1.3 billion funding gap projected over the next two years, which could irrevocably lead to cuts within police forces nationwide.
Switching focus, the Metropolitan Police also received attention during these discussions. The force is set to gain an additional £65 million next year for capital city policing, as confirmed by Home Office Minister Diana Johnson. This will bring the total funding from the National and International Capital City grant to £255.2 million, marking a significant £65 million increase over the previous year's budget. Johnson pointed out the necessity for this increase, linking it to heightened demands for resources due to increased protest activities within London.
Despite gratitude for the funding boost, the Met Police has communicated concerns about the overall financial gap. Johnson mentioned: "We recognize the Metropolitan Police Service faces increased demands on resources from policing the capital city," highlighting the department's need for sustainable financial solutions. The force hopes the upcoming government spending review will address long-term funding challenges.
Additional strain on the Metropolitan Police is compounded by warnings from Sir Mark Rowley, the Commissioner, who indicated the department might need to make "eye-watering choices" if the government fails to ameliorate funding issues. He stressed all services within the force could be on the chopping block, uncertain whether more police stations would face closure. Sir Mark hinted at possible cuts of 2,300 officers and 400 staff due to an alarming £450 million funding shortfall.
These financial pressures are seen as the cumulative results of funding constraints spanning over the last decade or more, rather than unique to the current year’s budget. The potential for drastic measures looms large, prompting Sir Mark Rowley to explain their situation to assembly members. A Home Office spokesperson responded by affirming the recent budget's role in delivering increased funding to the Metropolitan Police, citing almost £3.5 billion allocated for 2024-25.
With police forces across England and Wales grappling with funding issues, the situations faced by Lincolnshire and the Metropolitan Police reveal the diverse struggles within the system, inviting public scrutiny and discussions on the need for effective policy adjustments to support law enforcement adequately. Stakeholders await the government's next steps, which could be decisive for maintaining public safety and the operational efficacy of these police services.
