MPs raise concerns about underfunded police force

Tuesday, 2 September 2025 09:41

A group of Lincolnshire opposition MPs have met with the government to try and stop the county's police force from going bust.

It's never happened to a force but the county's Conservative MPs including Gareth Davies and Alicia Kearns who were represented in the meeting told the minister Diana Johnson that the continuing shortfall Lincolnshire receives plus the National Insurance rise are crippling the Constabulary. Alicia Kearns says any more money for Lincolnshire Police needs to come from central government and not from taxpayers in the county.

‘So in the meeting, the minister accepted that Lincolnshire Police are comparatively underfunded. And we know that the government National Insurance rises essentially crippled the force because it was unfunded. So what we're saying is we need the government to now put in place the funding so that like the rest of the country, police forces are adequately funded and we won't accept any suggestion that perhaps Lincolnshire residents could pay additional fees in order to cover the shortfall from government. That would not be acceptable. So I hope that now that the Minister has finally met with Lincolnshire MPs, they will act and bring funding for Lincolnshire Police in line or cover the unfunded police National Insurance rise as they posed. That is what we need to see and I really hope it happens urgently’.