PCC John Campion warns “council tax rises are inevitable” following shortfalls in the government’s police funding settlement announcement.
The Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson, has today issued her statement on the provisional police funding settlement for 2025/26. In this statement, alongside the Minister’s commitment to policing and keeping communities safe, the funding allocation has been set out for all police forces in the UK.
Whilst additional funding will be given to support the changes to employer National Insurance contributions and the pay award for police officers and staff, PCC John Campion is still concerned about the lack of additional funding to cover inflation, demand on policing and government priorities – which equates to approximately 7%.
He said: “Whilst I welcome the additional funding to cover National Insurance and the pay award, West Mercia is still left with a budget gap that this government funding won’t cover.
“I share the government’s ambition and aim to continue reducing crime, protecting victims and keeping communities safe, but the shortfalls in the settlement mean that I will have no choice but to take advantage of the council tax precept flexibility that has been given to PCCs. However, even with this flexibility, it is inevitable that we will see service reductions and changes through needing to make unpalatable decisions.
“With the public facing financial challenges and pressures, having to increase the precept, and asking hard working people to pay more in tax, is something that weighs heavy on my mind. However, my hand is being somewhat forced to ensure West Mercia Police can still deliver a service for our communities.
“I will launch my draft budget and precept proposals, as part of a consultation, early next week to seek people’s views and provide more detail on what this means for communities.”
