SNP condemn political decision by Labour led board

The SNP today condemned the decision of Labour led Strathclyde police board to lose over 400 police over the next 18 months.

The decision comes despite the police board and the Scottish Government having yet to receive the budget for the coming financial year.

SNP MSP Anne McLaughlin said the SNP was firmly committed to more police in our communities and has already delivered over 1000 extra police on the beat.

Ms McLaughlin said: “This is a politically inspired decision by a Labour led police board.  As they admit they do not know what the budget will be so it seems irresponsible to make these indiscriminate cuts, putting public safety and people’s careers into question.

“The SNP is clear that we want to protect and preserve police numbers.  There are already 1000 more officers on our streets and Glasgow has felt the real benefit of this with crackdowns on knives, gangs and vandalism across the city making communities safer.

“Strathclyde have to balance their budget but these cuts are presumptuous. Whilst I am glad these cuts are not as severe as those rumoured earlier this there will be real anger across Glasgow and Strathclyde that these cuts are being made without any idea what the actual budget will be.

“We will not know how much money is available for Scotland’s public services till the UK Government allocates Scotland’s budget in October but I hope that Strathclyde will make a clear commitment that if the policing budget does not fall by the amounts they have predicted that frontline policing numbers will be reinstated.”