- Written by Tim Donovan
- BBC London Political Editor
Government announces £185 million to be given to the Metropolitan Police in recognition of the increasing demands it faces
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said reforms to the Metropolitan Police will be delayed unless the government “steps in” with more funding.
He plans to raise the issue directly with the Home Secretary at a future meeting.
Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall said Mr Khan had found extra funding for the Tube workers' strike and should “get back behind the sofa” to find more.
According to the Home Office, the Metropolitan Museum of Art receives the most funding per person compared to the rest of England and Wales.
London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has warned that without an extra £140m, it will take even more time to tackle the racism, misogyny and homophobia identified in the Casey Review.
The Mayor said City Hall's contribution to London's police force through council and business tax had increased from 18% to 25% over the eight years he was Mayor.
The remaining three-quarters of the Met's £4.2 billion budget comes from Home Office grants.
“Black Hole”
Documents published ahead of Mr Khan's appearance in the London Assembly later on Thursday show City Hall is proposing an additional £88m of funding this year, with almost £120m of additional funding from the Government. is appearing.
But the Met still faces a £39m “black hole” that it says it will need to fill with cuts and savings over the coming weeks.
In addition to that, Sir Mark said the £140m he said was needed to see the reform program through to completion and put more police officers on the front line.
The Mayor said an additional £41 million was taken to deal with a series of Just Stop Oil actions and protests related to the Middle East.
Last year, Baroness Casey concluded that the capital “no longer has a functioning neighborhood policing service” trusted by the public. The commissioner said a “new beginning” was needed.
“The pace that the Secretary is being asked to move at is not going to be possible without support from the government,” Khan said.
“Let's see what the Home Secretary has to say. I hope he supports the Metropolitan Police. That's what they deserve.”
“Take it away”
Mr Khan told BBC London he would seek more funding to reflect the Met's unique domestic and international responsibilities, such as cracking down on protests and protecting diplomats.
He said an additional £41 million had been spent to deal with a series of “Just Stop Oil” actions and protests related to the Middle East conflict.
His Conservative opponent, Ms Hall, said his demands were “astonishing”, especially in light of the recently discovered £30 million to avert an underground strike.
“He says he hasn’t had any money in recent years, but he’s clearly scraping together money to spend in an election year.
“Let’s go back behind the couch where he found all that money for union members and see if he can put more money into the police.
“They are the ones who need adequate funding,” she says.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Decisions about how funding and resources are used in London are a matter for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the democratically elected Mayor of London.”
“The Metropolitan Police receives the most funding per head of population compared to the rest of England and Wales, receiving up to £3.5 billion in 2024-2025, an increase of up to £119 million on the previous year.
“This includes £185 million in recognition of the increasing demands faced by our armed forces in securing the capital.”
Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sound and follow BBC London on Facebook. X And Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].