Police fair funding fight goes to Number 10

Tony Hogg’s campaign for Fair Funding for Devon and Cornwall Police - the largest ever engagement exercise by a police and crime commissioner – culminated yesterday (Tuesday 15 September) when he handed in an 8,568 signature petition to 10 Downing Street.

The petition, which asks the Government to consider the unique challenges faced by Devon and Cornwall – geographically the largest police force in England and Wales – gives a very public face to Mr Hogg’s feedback into the Home Office consultation on the funding formula.

Mr Hogg was joined at Downing Street by local MPs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall), Kevin Foster (Torbay) and Ben Bradshaw (Exeter).

Should those proposals be implemented, Mr Hogg estimates a funding cut of £24m for Devon and Cornwall – about 13 per cent of its total operating budget.

“We have worked extremely hard to tell the people of Devon and Cornwall about the Government’s consultation into police funding,” said Mr Hogg.

“We have engaged with thousands of people across the peninsula, either through social media or at one of the 12 signing events we have held, to explain how this formula discriminates against Devon and Cornwall and to ask for support.

“To get over 8,000 signatures is a tremendous effort, but it goes much further than that. Like never before this campaign has shown the true value of the role of police and crime commissioner.

“The police force cannot lobby on its own behalf and the public needs a way to be able to express its displeasure about Government cuts so the PCC, as the public’s elected representative is best placed to fulfil that need.

“The petition has also had backing from many police officers and staff and just last week the union Unison presented my office with over 200 signatures it had collected on our behalf. That shows that our message has been getting through.

“Put all that together and it confirms that the public is behind us on this vital issue.”