{"id":367554,"date":"2025-08-23T15:37:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T15:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/367554\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T15:37:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T15:37:15","slug":"london-council-taxpayers-contributing-more-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/367554\/","title":{"rendered":"London council taxpayers contributing more than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

Council taxpayers will contribute just over \u00a31 billion to fund the Met Police in 2025-26 reports Clara Margotin, Data Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The(Credit \u2013 Met Police)<\/p>\n

Council taxpayers in London are contributing more than ever to fund local policing, new figures suggest.<\/p>\n

The Fairer Share campaign, which wants to scrap council tax and replace it with a proportional property tax, said increases in council tax contributions towards police funding in England and Wales reflect \u201ca fundamentally unfair system that shifts the burden onto households\u201d.<\/p>\n

It comes a month after police leaders expressed their disappointment with Chancellor Rachel Reeves\u2019 decision to increase police funding by 2.3% above inflation on average each year in the recent spending review.<\/p>\n

New figures from the Home Office show<\/a> council taxpayers will contribute just over \u00a31 billion to fund the Met Police in 2025-26 \u2013 a real-terms increase of 4% on the \u00a3989.2 million paid the previous year.<\/p>\n

It represents 27% of the force\u2019s funding for this financial year, and is the highest figure since records began in 2015-16.<\/p>\n

The government will provide the Met Police with \u00a32.8 billion, bringing the force\u2019s total funding for 2025-26 to a record \u00a33.8 billion.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, police forces across England and Wales<\/a> will receive nearly \u00a317.7 billion in funding this financial year, including some \u00a36 billion from council tax precepts and just over \u00a311.6 billion from the government.<\/p>\n

This is up 3.8% on the \u00a317 billion perceived the previous year, and the highest figure since records started.<\/p>\n

While the share of council tax precepts in police funding has increased steadily over the past decade, as just 28% of police funding was provided by council taxpayers in 2015-16, the share provided by the government has progressively declined.<\/p>\n

These figures do not represent the government\u2019s total investment in the policing system, as some funding is set in the Home Office\u2019s wider budget allocation process.<\/p>\n

Andrew Dixon, chair of the Fairer Share campaign, said it is \u201ctelling\u201d council taxpayers will contribute the highest amount on record towards police funding.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThat reflects not just rising demand, but a fundamentally unfair system that shifts the burden onto households, precisely the sort of regressive patchwork Fairer Share has long warned about.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added the government\u2019s declining share in police forces\u2019 funding is \u201cleaving residents to make up the difference even as they face mounting cost-of-living pressures\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners\u2019s joint finance leads, PFCC for Essex Roger Hirst and PCC for Durham Joy Allen, said they support the government\u2019s crime-fighting commitments, but warned this \u201cwill not be cost-free\u201d.<\/p>\n

They said: \u201cIf we are to deliver on our commitments, fund this year\u2019s 4.2% pay award for police officers and absorb the impact of inflation on other costs, police and crime commissioners and deputy mayors face difficult decisions which may have to include asking council taxpayers to shoulder yet more of the burden.<\/p>\n

They welcomed the real terms increase in central government funding announced in June, but warned a \u201cfairer and more sustainable\u201d funding model was needed.<\/p>\n

The Chancellor recently announced police spending power will increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms over the Spending Review period to \u201csupport frontline policing levels\u201d and \u201chelp restore public confidence in policing\u201d.<\/p>\n

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council, said: \u201cWe recognise that the government faces tough financial choices.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the face of these challenges, it\u2019s now more important than ever that police chiefs and government continue to unite behind radical reform for policing, and crucially, give forces the flexibility they need to modernise their workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe fully support the government\u2019s drive to cut crime and grow officer numbers, but for these to succeed, investment in policing must live up to the ambition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A Home Office spokesperson said: \u201cThe Home Secretary announced a \u00a31.2 billion increase in funding to police forces this year, with the 2025-26 police funding settlement providing a total of up to \u00a317.6 billion for forces across England and Wales.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis includes \u00a3200 million to reinvigorate neighbourhood policing and restore a visible presence of officers to our streets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years. As usual, more detail on force funding allocations will be set out at the provisional police settlement later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

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