North East Fire Services at Risk as Labour Government Funding Cuts Threaten Jobs

Warnings from the National Fire Chiefs Council that “incomprehensible” cuts to the Government’s grant funding for fire and rescue authorities could see more than 2,000 full time firefighter jobs lost pose a significant risk to fire services in our region.

Firefighter numbers have fallen nationally by 25% since 2008, equivalent to 11,000 full time firefighters. Fire incidents have risen since 2014 but budgets and firefighter cover have not, and the North East is set to lose out under a Labour Government.

The Labour Government’s decision not to increase the overall national funding pot for fire and rescue authorities are likely to reduce fire and rescue authorities by an estimated £100m in real-terms cuts under the Labour Government’s so called Fair Funding Review 2.0.

Further changes to the allocation formula will see area with faster population growth get a larger share of a smaller pot, with the North East losing out from a freeze in its spending power over the next three years. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that services in the North East “would as far as we can determine be amongst the worst affected and impacted”.

Cllr Tom Woodwark, Lib Dem leader of the Opposition on the Tyne and Wear Fire Authority and Gosforth councillor on Newcastle City Council said: “National fire chiefs are describing the Government’s proposals as incomprehensible and North East brigades are warning that difficult decisions may become unavoidable.

While the Labour chair of the Tyne and Wear Fire Authority is warning that changes must not leave his brigade in a “more vulnerable position”, the reality is that the Labour Government is responsible for this and responsible for ensuring that the North East will lose out.

Labour MPs and the regional Mayor should be standing up for constituents on this issue, rather than be silently complicit in disproportionate cuts to an essential public service for our region. Tyne and Wear residents deserve better. Liberal Democrats agree with the National Fire Chiefs Council that fairer central government funding for fire and rescue services is preferable to simply passing the financial burden on council tax payers by big increases in their annual contribution to fire services.