Farron Votes To Condemn Police Cuts

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has voted in favour of a motion in the House of Commons which branded government plans to cut police funding by over 10% as "dangerous". The motion went on to call for a funding settlement which does not compromise public safety.

Cumbria Police could be set to see their budget cut by almost 16% - the largest percentage reduction faced by any force in the country - due to changes in the formula used by the government to allocate funding to police forces. In addition to this, it is likely that the police budget will face additional cuts which are expected to be announced as part of the government's Comprehensive Spending Review due at the end of November.

Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes has said that cuts on this scale will have a "significant impact" on the level of policing the force can provide.

Tim Farron has consistently spoken out against the proposed cuts, arguing that the government's funding settlement must take into account the unique challenges faced by rural forces such as Cumbria Police which cover large geographical areas.

Tim said: "The government's plans to slash the Cumbria Police budget would have a devastating impact on the force.

I am calling on the government to reconsider their proposals, to ensure that Cumbria Police are given the resources they need.

The government must recognise that there are extra costs involved in policing large rural areas such as Cumbria, and the funding deal must reflect this."