Fleetwood MP blasts ‘gobsmacking’ police funds error
Fleetwood MP Cat Smith has described the Government blunder which almost cost Lancashire Constabulary an extra £16.5m cut in its budget as ‘gobsmacking’.
She said: “In the past few weeks I have been challenging the Home Office to review their police funding formula which seemed to be disproportionately hitting Lancashire. I spoke out in Parliament and demanded the funding formula was reviewed.”
Last week the Home Office admitted, on the final day of a twice-extended consultation, that the funding formula it was proposing was based on incorrect data. Lancashire’s £24.5m cut has since been altered to £8m.
Ms Smith added: “I feel vindicated in my campaigning for a just cause – it’s truly gobsmacking to see how close we got to seeing unfair cuts hitting our communities.”