Police Federation of England and Wales urges Liberal Democrats to Keep their Promise

The Police Federation of England and Wales today launches an ad campaign to beseech the Liberal Democrats to keep their promise on the police budget.

The campaign appearing on posters across Birmingham and in today's edition of the Independent draws attention to the Liberal Democrats' manifesto promise to put an extra 3,000 officers on our streets. Instead, they are engaging in a 20% cut to the police budget which will see 16,000 fewer officers on the streets of the UK.

Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales says:

"The Liberal Democrats seem to be suffering from a form of collective amnesia on policing. In their manifesto they promised 3,000 more officers, and they also opposed Police & Crime Commissioners (PCCs). Instead they are ploughing ahead with a savage 20% cut to the police budget with the loss of 34,000 officers and staff, not to mention the real prospect of PCCs within the year. Their recent silence has been deafening."

Andy Gilbert, Chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation says:

"This campaign is a chance to reach out to Liberal Democrats and the people of Birmingham; to remind them that these cuts are real and are happening now. It's our communities that will feel the real consequences of these detrimental cuts, not the government that may or may not be here in the years to come."