Lib Dems urge Government to use the Budget to boost funding for London's Met Police
London’s Liberal Democrat MPs and London Assembly Members have today written to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, urging her to use the forthcoming Budget to deliver an emergency funding uplift for the Metropolitan Police Service.
In their letter the Lib Dems warn that the Met faces “a perfect storm: crushing operational and capital pressures, the urgent need for deep-rooted cultural reform, and a serious loss of public trust – all while being asked to do more with less.”
They highlight that the planned closure of most 24/7 police front counters across London – leaving only two open round-the-clock, at Charing Cross and Lewisham – represents “a devastating loss of public access, not to mention a betrayal of a core manifesto promise from London’s Mayor.”
The Lib Dems call for the Budget to:
Provide a dedicated funding uplift for London policing.
Halt police station counter closures and keep a 24/7 station in every borough.
Support the Met’s capital costs, including estate repairs and the electric vehicle transition.
Invest in cultural reform, tackling misogyny, racism, and corruption within the force.
“The Met is being forced to choose between maintaining a safe, accessible presence in communities or simply keeping the lights on,” the letter warns. “A police service without the resources to be visible, accessible, or accountable cannot keep London safe.”
The Rt Hon Sir Edward Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, said:
"The decision to reduce the 24/7 front desk service at Kingston Police Station is completely unacceptable.
"Many people, from both in and out of the borough, engage with Kingston’s significant night-time economy.
“With reduced hours at Kingston police station’s front counter, many people will feel as though their safety is not being prioritised, and that there will be nowhere to go in an emergency.”
Gareth Roberts, the Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for the South West constituency (Richmond, Kingston, Hounslow) said:
“The Mayor can’t wash his hands of this by saying it’s an operational matter for the Met. Londoners were promised a 24/7 police station in every borough - walking away from that commitment undermines trust in both the Met and the Mayor.
"He should be standing up to the Government, demanding the funding London’s police desperately need, not passing the buck and distancing himself from the consequences of these cuts.”
Luke Taylor, the Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam and Frontbench Spokesperson for London, said:
“The news that even more 24/7 counters will now be cut doubles down on a policy that will make Londoners less safe, and further break a manifesto commitment from the Mayor
“Police front counters aren’t just about reporting crime - but also about maintaining public confidence and ensuring that the police are active and visible in our community.
“This simply isn’t good enough and the Mayor and Government need to act now to get the Met the money it needs to stop this happening and boost community policing in London”
The letter is signed by all London Liberal Democrat MPs and Assembly Members: Sir Edward Davey, Bobby Dean, Paul Kohler, Sarah Olney, Luke Taylor, Hina Bokhari OBE and Gareth Roberts.
Read the letter in full here