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PSA President responds to Autumn Budget

PSA President Nick Smart has commented on the Autumn 2024 budget announcement:

"Whilst there are some positives for police officers in the Autumn Budget, the stark lack of detail surrounding police service funding as a whole, is concerning.

“With our staff association colleagues, we lobbied against increasing tax payments on lump sums – this would have been yet another blow to police officers who have consistently received below inflation pay awards, alongside damaging changes to their pensions. We are pleased that no increase will take place.

“However, there is little else in this budget that shows any intention to address the huge gap in funding we face. This comes after widespread violence and unrest over the summer, which showed without doubt, the need to have a properly funded, fully equipped and trained service to deal with such incidents without daily business suffering. Yet again we have been overlooked - a trend that has been going on for over a decade, with concerns being ignored again and again.

“Nothing in this budget will address the huge fiscal savings chief constables are being forced to make, It does nothing to alleviate the pressures of unstainable workloads for staff at all ranks, and there is no promise of any investment to help reduce existing and increasing demand for service. 

“This is despite a £3.2bn shortfall in the current policing budget, and continued evidence of an inability to deliver the policing our communities need with the resources we have. The government continues to reference investment in frontline policing, but we see no detail on how this will be delivered, when it will be seen, or how the entire system will be bolstered.

“Investment in schools and the health service is of course welcome, but once again, policing has not been prioritised in any way.  The irony will not be lost on many police officers, as there will remain an expectation for us to pick up the demand of other agencies who cannot deal with their own.    

“This budget is a blow for policing. Without sustained and increased investment, nothing will change – we have maximised ‘efficiency savings,’ having been asked to make these for years. Without increased funding and a clear commitment to properly resourcing the service, we simply cannot deliver everything that is expected.

“We will continue to push for fair, sustained investment in policing and hope that the government will recognise and value the essential efforts of our workforce.”