Hillingdon Labour proposes alternative spend for £5m earmarked for police station purchase

“Boris Johnson has pledged 20,000 police officers by 2022, which sounds great until you consider that it is Conservative Governments that cut police numbers by more than 20,000 since 2010.

“And I notice that the Cabinet Member has left out of the motion the detail on how this will be funded. It will require the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to raise council tax. I am sure when the time comes, this Conservative Council will take a swing at him for doing the very thing that their Prime Minister is making him do in order to fulfil this proposal of 20,000 more police.

“The motion also doesn’t mention that in his first year as Mayor of London, Boris Johnson cut 455 police officers. What a record he has on policing.”

Speaking after the Council meeting, Cllr Mathers said:

“It is no surprise that the Council voted down our amendment. They have no real vision of how we can use innovation to address an issue, but instead cut local services – such as Meal on Wheels provision – whilst spending £5m on a vanity project that will do nothing to tackle crime in the area.”