Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

Surrey MPs Unite To Condemn Police Merger

All of Surrey’s eleven MPs yesterday tabled an Early Day Motion asking the Home Secretary to withdraw his proposal to merge Surrey Police with Sussex Police.  The text of the motion is as follows:

That this House supports the Surrey Police Authority in rejecting the proposal to merge with Sussex Police, noting there was no support for a voluntary merger at an extraordinary meeting of the Surrey Police Authority on Wednesday 5th April 2006 and that there has been no attempt to address the long term funding gap for Surrey Police and that a merger will result in fewer police resources deployed in Surrey and calls on the Home Secretary to withdraw his proposal.

Commenting today, Wednesday 19th April 2006, Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate said:

“There was no support for the Home Secretary’s proposal on the Surrey Police Authority and it is unanimously opposed by all Surrey’s elected representatives in Parliament. Sadly, I don’t suppose for a moment that this unanimous opposition is going to cause the Home Secretary to desist from a proposal which will further weaken policing in Surrey.”

Crispin Blunt added:

“Surrey Police has gone from being the best funded to the worst funded police force since 1997.    This latest policy reflects that mean streak in the government which revels in an unfair deal for the Home Counties.  All Surrey’s elected representatives will remain united in doing our best to defend the interests of our county, but as the assault on our county’s institutions proceeds it is painfully clear that only a change of government can halt the damage.”