Fareham Labour Party is to fight cuts in public expenditure brought on by the Conservative Government and Hampshire County Council. Recent announcements look set to decimate the Police and Fire & Rescue Services.
Hampshire police face reductions of up to 1,200 officers and staff jobs over the next five years. The cash reduction could be £40m to £65m on top of the £80m cut implemented from 2010. Tory Treasurery ministers have told the Home Office if faces a 25 to 40 per cent cut reduction in funding. With cuts on this scale policing will drop dramatically leading to fears of an increase in crime.
The Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service is no better off as plans to cope with a £12.2m shortfall are implemented. The service plans to lose more than 200 fire fighters which is bound to the stretch the service even more then now. Numbers of firefighters and vehicles will be reduced in all areas. Locally reductions will mean:
- In Fareham – reducing from two fire engines, seven full-time firefighters and 12 on-call fire fighters to one ‘enhanced’ vehicle and one first response vehicle.seven full-time and 13 firefighters on call .
- In Portchester – reducing from one fire engine and 12 firefighters on call to one first response vehicle and eight firefighters.
Spokesperson Richard Ryan said “These reduction in services will make people’s lives more dangerous by slower response times both with the police and fire service. Labour is committed to fight these cuts and will do all we can to help maintain these vital frontline services.”