'People deserve better'

CROSS-PARTY DISMAY AT POLICE SPENDING REVIEW

- By DANIEL HODGSON

THERE has been cross-party dissatisfaction from the Cleveland policing community in response to the chancellor's spending review.

Labour's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey and Conservative MP Matt Vickers both critiqued last week's statement. The review saw Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out her spending strategy for the upcoming years, in which she promised significant boosts for the NHS, defence and education.

In the same week, Cleveland Police Federation's branch chair voiced concerns about the formula used to allocate funding to police forces over the country and set out why Cleveland is disadvantaged.

On its part, the Home Office said it had given the police a £1.2bn boost, adding funding allocations for individual police forces will be confirmed in the police settlement.

Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey said Cleveland Police do a "remarkable job" based on the financial context, but added: "Whilst the additional £2bn for policing is welcomed, I have concerns that it does not go far enough to work towards the Safer Streets mission to halve knife crime, reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) and deliver the neighbourhood policing guarantee."

The PCC took issue with the funding formula, which is the method used to calculate the finances Cleveland Police receives from the Government; this is a complaint Mr Storey has voiced before.