Joe Powell has written to Sadiq Khan, asking him not to close the 24/7 counter at Kensington Police Station. Joe then politicises things by blaming 14 years of Conservative police funding cuts. Both Conservative and Labour governments are to blame for the mess we are in.
What residents really care about is not whether a police counter is open 24/7 but when we will see police on our streets. We have the police numbers but we don’t see them unless flashing past in vans.
The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Sir Stephen Watson, has dramatically improved policing on his patch by demanding high standards and high visibility on our streets. Sir Stephen is a natural-born leader and that is what we are crying out for in London: practical, down-to-earth policing led from the front.
If Labour and Conservative are to catch up with Reform, they need to sense the anger felt by ordinary people.
“I fully recognise the financial and operational pressures the Metropolitan Police has faced over the past fourteen years, with more than £1bn of cuts under the previous government. I’m glad that the Met is receiving a historic £1.16bn in funding for 2025/26 and has secured a real terms increase in funding over the course of the Spending Review for the following three years. I know this does not immediately solve the financial pressures, but it indicates this government is backing our police. As you and I have previously discussed in meetings about policing priorities in London – and I discuss regularly with the Met’s local leadership – it is vital that the Metropolitan Police are visible and accessible to residents through well-functioning and staffed neighbourhood teams, and a physical presence across London. I’m glad that you have committed to Kensington Police Station continuing to operate, but I’m concerned that after the loss of the Royal Parks Police this year.”
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