Police and Crime Commissioner criticizes government over funding
23/12/2025
Matthew Barber spoke of the “appalling situation” in which the force had been placed
Our local Police and Crime Commissioner says the amount of money the government has agreed to give the force next year is “terrible news for Thames Valley Police”.
Matthew Barber added that whilst the government pushed headlines claiming they are investing more in policing, the harsh reality is that the settlement is £8.8m less than they were expecting.
The commissioner says he will be working with the Chief Constable over the Christmas period to look at how they can set the budget in the New Year, which will continue to prioritise the protection of front-line services.
He warned that it was likely to mean drawing down reserves sooner than anticipated, rather than finding additional productivity savings above those the force already had planned.
Mr Barber said: “Even with the significant burden the Government are looking to pass on to local council taxpayers this still leaves a huge gap in our funding plans for policing next year.
“I am appalled by the way the Government has handled this process which leaves Forces struggling to balance budgets and is in complete contradiction to the Government’s own Comprehensive Spending Review.”
He concluded: “This appalling situation reinforces the urgent need for a review of the police funding formula which is outdated and becoming more unsustainable every year.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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