Sadiq Khan blames Just Stop Oil and Gaza protests as London mayor warns Met Police is ‘chronically underfunded’ in demand for more cash
Sadiq Khan has pointed to continuing Gaza protests and Just Stop Oil activities in a plea for more cash for the ‘chronically underfunded’ Metropolitan Police.
In a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly, the London mayor claimed there was a £240million funding shortfall for Scotland Yard.
He said London faced ‘unique pressures’ as the UK’s capital, with the city continuing to see demonstrations in the wake of Hamas’s terror attacks on Israel on 7 October.
Mr Khan added that ‘cultural festivals and ceremonial events’ placed an extra burden on London’s police force, as well as ‘additional pressures caused by the JSO protests and various sporting events’.
The London mayor told Mr Cleverly the ‘additional costs’ from Scotland Yard’s policing of Gaza protests had resulted in ‘reduced resource available for frontline and neighbourhood teams’.
He also warned there was now less resource ‘for important programmes to reform’ the Met Police, which has suffered a series of scandals in recent years.
Sadiq Khan has pointed to continuing Gaza protests and Just Stop Oil activities in a plea for more cash for the ‘chronically underfunded’ Metropolitan Police
The mayor said London faced ‘unique pressures’ as the UK’s capital, with the city continuing to see demonstrations in the wake of Hamas ‘s terror attacks on Israel on 7 October
Mr Khan said ‘cultural festivals and ceremonial events’ placed an extra burden on the Met Police, as well as ‘additional pressures caused by the JSO protests and various sporting events’
Mr Khan said London’s communities ‘directly suffer’ from Scotland Yard’s requirement to prioritise its ‘under-funded’ duties as the capital’s police force.
He claimed many officers in the Met Police had worker every weekend since 7 October, with ‘rising’ sickness rates within the force.
The London mayor demanded Mr Cleverly return to a ‘fully funded’ National and International Capital City (NICC) grant, which he said was now leaving a £240million annual gap in funding.
The NICC is a pot of money provided by the Government to the Met Police – through City Hall – to fund the ‘unique and additional demands’ placed on Scotland Yard by being the capital’s police force.
But the Met Police has complained the amount it receives is well below the actual costs of policing public events and protests.
In a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly, the London mayor claimed there was a £240million funding shortfall for Scotland Yard
In a statement, Mr Khan said: ‘It’s been known for a long time that the Government have chronically underfunded the Met Police for the unique and national responsibilities it has in our capital to deliver major state events, as well as manage large-scale protests.
‘The recent unprecedented pressures and demands on the force has brought this underfunding into sharp focus.
‘The Met have outlined that the funding shortfall is around £240million, and as the Commissioner has said it is continuing to have a real tangible impact on the service they can provide to Londoners.’
The mayor’s office also pointed to the hundreds of events the Met Police is required to oversee each year that are unique to the capital, including the state opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour, and Notting Hill Carnival.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We are giving the police the resources they need to tackle crime, and through our police recruitment campaign we have more police officers in England and Wales than ever.
‘The Metropolitan Police will receive up to £3.3billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £102.3million on the previous year. This includes £185.3million in recognition of the increased demands the force faces from policing the capital city.
‘We have also provided an additional £75.3million of in-year funding to support the force in managing the costs associated with the 2023/24 pay award.’
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