Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash meets Prime Minister Andy Burnham to discuss fairer funding for emergency services
There can be no greater responsibility for any government than keeping its people safe.
Yet for too long Cleveland Police have been asked to do more with less, held back by a funding formula that is outdated, unfair and desperately needs reform.
The figures speak for themselves.
In the year to March 2025, Cleveland recorded 122.1 crimes per 1,000 people compared with an average of 87.2 across England and Wales.
Despite having the highest crime rate per head, we receive less funding than areas facing significantly lower levels of crime.
One force with half our crime rate receives £20 million more every year.
This is not fair. It is not sustainable. And it must change.
Behind these figures are real people, real victims and communities who deserve to feel safe.
Our officers work tirelessly to protect us, often in the most dangerous circumstances imaginable.
They deserve the resources to do their jobs and the public deserves a police force equipped to meet the challenges it faces.
The tragic deaths of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough have brought home the sacrifices our officers make every day.
Two brave men lost their lives serving our communities, leaving families and colleagues devastated. Their courage must never be forgotten.
We must therefore create a lasting legacy that makes a tangible difference to the people who follow them into service.
Last week, alongside fellow Cleveland MPs, I took this case directly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
I welcomed the Government’s additional £2 million for Cleveland Police alongside the deployment of officers from neighbouring forces.
This support matters but it cannot solve a structural funding problem built up over decades.
We need sustained additional investment now and fundamental reform of the funding formula so that resources reflect crime, deprivation and demand rather than simply population.
The Government has committed to reviewing the formula. Now we need urgency, a clear timetable and meaningful action.
Our firefighters, like our police officers, also deserve fair funding and the resources to protect our communities.
I will keep fighting for that change.
We cannot bring Matthew and Tom back.
But we can honour their memory by securing a fairer future for every brave man and woman who puts on a uniform to keep us safe.