It is always encouraging when someone who has served as a Government Minister in a given area feels that they are clear enough from their past to begin to challenge the Government which they were members of. Andrew Selous is MP for South West Bedfordshire and from July 2014 to July 2016 was Parliamentary Under – Secretary of State for Prisons and Probation. He was forced to pick up some of the many broken pieces of Probation that Chris Grayling had established. However now 23 months since he left the Government Andrew is once again bringing some challenge to his old colleagues. His question was raised on 14th June:

“May we have an urgent debate on the Home Office’s very welcome but seriously overdue commitment to move to a fairer funding formula for the police? Back in 2004, damping was brought in, which means that many police forces such as Bedfordshire received millions of pounds less than the national funding formula says they should get. In Bedfordshire, that equates to 90 police officers. May I ask the Leader of the House to convey to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, as well as to the Home Secretary, the real anger on this issue of the people of Bedfordshire at the way their police force is underfunded by this unfair issue of damping?”

Now of course Andrew is the MP for Bedfordshire, so his question relates to that one locality, but the same question would resonate in most parts of the UK. The response from Andrea Leadsom was pretty pathetic, but let us hope other MPs will add their voices to the same theme and then perhaps a debate can take place!

“My hon. Friend raises something in which many Members take a great interest. The Home Office will be looking again at the funding formula in the next spending review to provide all police leaders with the financial certainty they need. Following the 2018-19 settlement, the Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner has announced that she will increase officer numbers by at least 100 over the next two years. I assure my hon. Friend that the Government will listen very carefully to all forces and reflect on all evidence before taking funding decisions.”