Portsmouth South’s MP Stephen Morgan has called on the Home Secretary to urgently review Hampshire’s police budget to keep communities in Portsmouth safe.
In a letter to Suella Braverman, Mr Morgan said the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary faces one of the lowest amounts of funding per head of population in England and Wales.
Hampshire is predicted to remain the 15th lowest of the 43 forces in terms of estimated funding per head in 2023/24.
The City MP said that the historic funding deficit is a result of an estimated 17% real terms funding cuts by Conservative governments from 2010 to 2018, and due to the national police funding formula which the government has admitted needs to be reformed.
Following raising concerns about the levels of crime and antisocial behaviour in Portsmouth in the House of Commons earlier this month, Mr Morgan has now called on the Home Secretary to confirm which date the funding will be revised and to assure local residents that Hampshire and Isle of Wight will continue to receive funding uplifts to compensate for the historic deficit and impact of funding cuts.
Action against crime and antisocial behaviour under the Conservatives has collapsed. The neighbourhood police enforcing ASB powers have been slashed – with PCSO numbers cut in half and 6,000 fewer neighbourhood officers on the beat.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Successive Conservative governments have overlooked Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary when it comes to investment in our police force, resulting in a hollowed out service which undermines officers’ ability to tackle crime and stop criminals.
“The government has admitted that its police funding formula needs updating but continues to kick the can down the road, leaving Portsmouth people feeling less safe than before.
“That’s why I am continuing to lobby government to ensure our area continues to receive funding uplifts to compensate for the historic deficit and impact of Tory funding cuts.”
Mr Morgan has taken a range of actions on behalf of constituents impacted by crime and anti-social behaviour, including joining police patrols to see local crime hotspots first-hand, as well as speaking up for local crime victims in Parliament. He continues to work closely with local police and the ASB team at the council to make our city safer.
