The prime minister faces an urgent call for crime funding as watchdogs warn his pledge to halve violence against women will fail without major investment. Domestic abuse commissioner dame Nicole Jacobs and victims commissioner Baroness Newlove jointly wrote to Sir Keir Starmer, marking their first united appeal. They argue victim services are near collapse due to budget cuts and rising costs.
This urgent call to fund crime initiatives comes ahead of the chancellor’s spending review, expected to slash public spending. Police chiefs also warned Starmer they may stop investigating certain crimes if budgets shrink. The Home Office remains in tense talks with the treasury over funding allocations.
In their letter, the commissioners praised Starmer’s decade-long goal but called current policies “piecemeal.” They stressed only bold investment can address systemic abuse. “The cost of inaction is too high,” they wrote. Meanwhile, Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley and other top officers fear a return to austerity-era staffing levels.
Police leaders bypassed Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, signaling stalled negotiations. They warned Starmer directly about “far-reaching consequences” of underfunding. Budget shortfalls, they said, force “stark choices” on crime priorities. Workforce cuts would follow without inflation-adjusted pay funding, adding urgency for calls to fund crime efforts.
Austerity under the Conservatives saw 45,000 fewer officers by 2016, while violent crime rose 24%. Police chiefs say demand now outpaces resources, leaving no flexibility. Last week, Rowley and MI5 also flagged risks from the early prisoner release scheme. Six police leaders publicly demanded more Treasury support to uphold anti-crime promises, amid urgent funding concerns.
For more political updates, visit London Pulse News.
