Policing minister meeting planned over Met funding

Five white men, who had travelled to London for a protest against mass migration, were surrounding and attacking a black man. When I challenged them, they, like most bullies, backed away and left the scene as I called the police.

Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured. But the incident was a stark reminder that the increasingly inflammatory rhetoric we hear in public debate has real-world consequences. Words matter. When politicians and commentators seek to divide communities for political gain, there are always those prepared to take the next step.

The Metropolitan Police arrived quickly, but my experience afterwards left me concerned. Although I was able to provide photographs clearly identifying two of those involved, I was later informed that no further action would be taken. The reason given was lack of evidence despite no one formally interviewing me about the affray I had witnessed. The strong impression I was left with was, not one of indifference by individual officers, but of a service stretched beyond its limits.

That concern is reinforced by what senior police leaders themselves are saying. In a recent letter, Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes described the "sustained pressure" facing officers and staff after years of financial constraint. The Met has lost 4,300 posts since 2024 and now has fewer officers per head of population than at any point in its history.

London faces unique policing challenges. The National and International Capital City grant, intended to fund responsibilities such as major demonstrations and national events, falls far short of the costs the Met actually incurs. The result is an unsustainable gap in funding that leaves difficult choices being made every day.

This is not a criticism of frontline officers or of Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Those charged with leading the Met can only work with the resources available to them. The real issue is chronic year on year Home Office reductions in the Met’s grant, with funding in real terms cut by a third since 2015.

My own experience has shown how important effective local policing can be. More than a decade ago, my life was saved by two brave officers after I was attacked in my own home. That experience left me with a lasting appreciation for the value of visible neighbourhood policing and the reassurance it provides to residents, businesses and communities.

At the same time, Londoners rightly expect the Met to be capable of responding to major public order incidents, tackling violent extremism and keeping people safe at large demonstrations. A modern capital city requires both strong community policing and the capacity to meet these wider responsibilities.

Wimbledon residents know that I have long campaigned to protect local policing, including winning my legal action that stopped Labour’s Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, closing Wimbledon Police Station in 2018. Sadly he has now closed the public facing front counter, after promising to keep it open when he was last elected, all the while telling voters things would be better with a Labour government.

In the coming weeks I will be meeting the Minister for Policing and Crime to discuss these issues directly. I intend to make the case for a properly funded Metropolitan Police Service, one that can support neighbourhood policing, respond effectively to major incidents and maintain public confidence across London. Londoners deserve nothing less.