Former Home Secretary Rt Hon David Blunkett, MP for Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough, has slammed the Lib Dem/Tory coalition government’s cut of almost £3 million in funding to South Yorkshire Police.
Mr Blunkett was responding after the new Police Minister, Conservative MP Nick Herbert, wrote to all chief constables to inform them of a total of £125 million of cuts to police forces up and down the country this year – as well as a £10 million cut in funding for counter-terrorism operations.
According to Conservative Minister’s letter, South Yorkshire will see its Home Office police grant slashed from £110.2 million to £107.4 million – a cut of £2.8 million – in this financial year; and its capital grant will be reduced from £3.3 million to £3.1 million.
Mr Blunkett said: “I condemn this reduction in police funding which is being carried out by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, with all that it will mean for our ability to continue the fight against criminality in our area.
“I especially deplore the £10 million cut in funding for counter-terrorism policing, at a time when we know that the threat to our communities from those who stand opposed to our way of life continues unabated.
“The Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council bemoaned, in the resolution which they recently put through the Council, what they said was the shortfall in funding for the police allocated by the previous Labour Government.
“I now expect them to condemn outright the actions of the coalition – of which Nick Clegg is the deputy leader – and the impact their cuts will have on the safety and well-being of people in Sheffield and the whole of South Yorkshire.”
ENDS
Comments