Agenda item

7.20pm – Councillor Sue Fennimore moved, seconded by Councillor Hannah Barlow, the special motion in their names:

“This Council recognises the vital role played by Hammersmith and Fulham’s police service and thanks our police officers for the work they do protecting our citizens.

The Council notes that significant threats remain of violent crime and terrorism and that police officers consistently play the essential role in keeping order and halting terrorist atrocities. This Council therefore calls on Parliament to vote against the devastating cuts in police funding ordered by George Osborne MP (Con), the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Greg Hands MP (Con), the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham.

The Council further notes that Mr Osborne and Mr Hands are proposing to implement a staggering £800 million cut to the Metropolitan Police Service which could result in London losing up to a further 7000 front line police officers. The Council recognises that this is likely to mean significant cuts to Hammersmith and Fulham’s police service and that such a cut in police capacity will seriously risk endangering local residents.

The Council recognises how the Conservative government and Conservative London Mayor’s cuts to local policing starkly contrasts with the policy of H&F Council’s new Labour administration which has put the largest number of Council funded police officers onto the streets of Hammersmith and Fulham in the Borough’s history.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Sue Fennimore, Hannah Barlow, Sue Macmillan, and Guy Vincent (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Charlie Dewhirst moved, seconded by Councillor Greg Smith, an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete title of Special Motion and insert: “METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE”

Delete all after “protecting our citizens” and insert:

1.         This Council notes that the Home Office will be asked to make savings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in order to ensure that the deficit is eliminated during this Parliament and the UK can begin to pay down its debts. The details of these savings are not yet known.

2.         The Council further notes that the Mayor of London is fighting hard to ensure a good deal for London, and recognises that the capital is a growing city and the engine of the UK economy, which needs adequate resources for policing.

3.         The Council commends the Government’s pledge to spend to 2% of GDP on defence and welcomes this additional investment into fighting the threat of terrorism at home and abroad.

4.         The Council recognises that the Mayor of London has prioritised neighbourhood policing, and will continue to do so. Despite already making savings of £600m, the Mayor has kept overall officer numbers at 32,000 and has put an extra 2,600 police officers into neighbourhoods, including 92 in Hammersmith and Fulham.

5.         The Council notes that any decisions by the Council to employ additional police officers on the “buy one get one free” scheme are only made possible by the Mayor of London’s commitment to the scheme and decision to continue it.”

Speeches on the amendment to the special motion were made by Councillors Charlie Dewhirst and Greg Smith (for the Opposition) and Councillors Max Schmid and Andrew Jones (for the Administration), before it was put to the vote.

The amendment was declared LOST.

The substantive motion was then put to the vote and a roll-call was requested:

The motion was declared CARRIED.

7:58pm – RESOLVED

This Council recognises the vital role played by Hammersmith and Fulham’s police service and thanks our police officers for the work they do protecting our citizens.

The Council notes that significant threats remain of violent crime and terrorism and that police officers consistently play the essential role in keeping order and halting terrorist atrocities. This Council therefore calls on Parliament to vote against the devastating cuts in police funding ordered by George Osborne MP (Con), the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Greg Hands MP (Con), the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham.

The Council further notes that Mr Osborne and Mr Hands are proposing to implement a staggering £800 million cut to the Metropolitan Police Service which could result in London losing up to a further 7000 front line police officers. The Council recognises that this is likely to mean significant cuts to Hammersmith and Fulham’s police service and that such a cut in police capacity will seriously risk endangering local residents.

The Council recognises how the Conservative government and Conservative London Mayor’s cuts to local policing starkly contrasts with the policy of H&F Council’s new Labour administration which has put the largest number of Council funded police officers onto the streets of Hammersmith and Fulham in the Borough’s history.