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laid Cymru’s Elfyn Llwyd MP has responded to today’s news that policing grants in Wales and England are to be slashed while simultaneously the UK Government is pushing ahead with unpopular plans to fund elected Police Commissioners – at a cost of £50million to the public purse.
Mr Llwyd has repeatedly raised concerns over UK government’s proposals to introduce elected Police Commissioners for authorities in Wales and England, warning that it would lead to “politicisation of the police force”, a view recently echoed by human rights organisation ‘Justice’.
Elfyn Llwyd MP, a member of the House of Commons Justice Committee, said:
“The cuts announced today to the policing grant in Wales and England will mean cuts to police authorities’ operational budgets at precisely the time when £50million is being put aside to fund newly elected Police Commissioners – which nobody needs.
“Police authorities’ budgets will be cut dramatically across the board in Wales. Just how exactly the UK government expects to see a fall in crime rates at the same time as slashing the policing budget is beyond me.
“These cuts are irresponsible and will come in at a time when police authorities will be stretched due to the forced redundancies of the most experienced police officers.
“I’m concerned that introducing elected Police Commissioners will in any case lead to the politicisation of the police force. It will bare little scrutiny in reality.”
