The Home Secretary has refused to rule out further police cuts following a Labour election pledge to put 10,000 more police officers on the beat
In an interview on Tuesday it was suggested to Amber Rudd that she had made “no promise on numbers, no promise on budget”.
“We will have to see what comes out with the manifesto,” the Conservative MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“But be in no doubt that a Conservative budget will put security first and what we’ve seen in recent years is a protected police budget.”
20,000 police officers have been cut since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. George Osborne belatedly protected the police budget in the 2015 spending review.
Labour says it will fund an extra 10,000 officers by reversing the Conservatives’ cuts to capital gains tax.
But Ms Rudd dismissed the pledge and being “without credibility” and said the police Budget needed to be kept under “control”.
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“I think the important statistic is that crime has fallen by 2010 by a third. We believe that we can control the Budget and reduce crime,” she said.
“Labour’s proposal is totally without credibility, they’ve spent the money already that they say they’ve got for it several times before and they have no reputation on looking after security at all.”
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott however said the police were “crying out for is more manpower”.
UK General Election 2017
UK General Election 2017
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1/42 18 April 2017
Media gather in Downing Street, London, ahead of a statement by Prime Minister Theresa May
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2/42 18 April 2017
Theresa May exits 10 Downing Street to announce snap election
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3/42 18 April 2017
British Prime Minister Theresa May has called for an early general election
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4/42 18 April 2017
Prime Minister Theresa May walks back into 10 Downing Street after making a statement to the nation
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5/42 18 April 2017
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6/42 18 April 2017
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7/42 18 April 2017
Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn talks to carers during a visit to Birmingham Carers Hub to launch Labour's proposed Carer's Allowance increase
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8/42 19 April 2017
Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech in Walmsley Parish Hall, Bolton, as she asked voters for the mandate to lead post-Brexit Britain ahead of the looming election campaign
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9/42 19 April 2017
Scotland's First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon walks with deputy leader and member of parliament Angus Robertson during a media facility outside the Houses of Parliament
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10/42 19 April 2017
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech to Conservative Party members to launch their election campaign in Walmsley Parish Hall in Bolton, England
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11/42 20 April 2017
Prime Minister Theresa May during a visit to radar manufacturer Kelvin Hughes Limited in Enfield, north Londo
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12/42 21 April 2017
Prime Minster Theresa May gives a short speech and at GSK in Maidenhead, England
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13/42 21 April 2017
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reads with children as he visits Brentry Children Centre in Bristol, during Labour's election campaign
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14/42 24 April 2017
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15/42 24 April 2017
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses the STUC conference in Aviemore.
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16/42 24 April 2017
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron addresses supporters at a campaign event in Vauxhall, London
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The Conservative party website is displayed on a laptop computer in Bristol, England. The use of digital marketing and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to play and important role in the snap general election to be held on June 8
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20/42 25 April 2017
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer makes a speech outlining Labour's approach to Brexit
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21/42 25 April 2017
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22/42 29 April 2017
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23/42 29 April 2017
UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall leaves a pub after meeting with television media in Hartlepool
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24/42 29 April 2017
A UK Independence Party supporter (L) scuffles with a pro-europe supporter ahead of a visit by UKIP leader Paul Nuttall to Hartlepool
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25/42 29 April 2017
Theresa May speaks at an election campaign rally in Banchory, Scotland
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26/42 29 April 2017
British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign rally on April 29, 2017 in Banchory, Scotland
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27/42 29 April 2017
Jeremy Corbyn delivers a campaign speech on leadership in London
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28/42 29 April 2017
Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at an election campaign rally in East London
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29/42 30 April 2017
Jeremy Corbyn speaks to supporters as he arrives for a conference for head teachers in Telford
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30/42 2 May 2017
Green MEP Molly Scott Cato speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy watched by Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas and Green London Assembly member Siân Rebecca Berry at the Space Studio in London
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31/42 2 May 2017
Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy at the Space Studio in London
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32/42 2 May 2017
Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, Siân Rebecca Berry, London Assembly Green Party member and the Bristol West candidate, Molly Scott Cato make an announcement of the party's new Brexit policy in London
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33/42 2 May 2017
Scottish Conservative party leader Ruth Davidson gave a speech at the G&V Royal Mile Hotel in Edinburgh ahead of the local government election
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34/42 2 May 2017
Ukip leader Paul Nuttall during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge and Pete Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate, while on the election campaign trail
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35/42 2 May 2017
Ukip leader Paul Nuttall eats grapes during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge and Pete Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate
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36/42 2 May 2017
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, campaigns in Southampton
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37/42 2 May 2017
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, campaigns in Southampton
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38/42 2 May 2017
A view of the Liberal Democrat battle bus during a general election campaign visit to Lewes in East Sussex
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39/42 2 May 2017
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a campaign stop at a company in St Yves, Cornwall, England
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40/42 2 May 2017
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a campaign stop at a company in St Yves, Cornwall, England. The Prime Minister is campaigning in South-West England, a former Liberal Democrat stronghold, as she urges West Country voters to stick with her party ahead of the polls on June 8
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41/42 2 May 2017
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May enjoys some chips during a campaign stop in Mevagissey, Cornwall
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Prime Minister Theresa May having some chips while on a walkabout during a election campaign stop in Mevagissey, Cornwall
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Speaking in Southampton today announcing the new policy Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will say: “Cutting police numbers especially when there is more crime to deal with is unacceptable. The safety of our communities is vital to us all.
“Community policing means uniformed officers being visible, local and accessible. They engage with the public, have a detailed local knowledge and build a network of relationships.
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