Police accuse Reeves of leaving them with 'crumbs' as Chancellor unveils £300bn spending review

Rachel Reeves today announced £300bn in new public spending as she vowed to bring the “national renewal” Labour promised during its election campaign.

In her long-awaited spending review, the Chancellor announced a slew of new measures, including £29bn for the NHS, £4.5bn for schools and £11bn for defence.

On top of that, Reeves revealed the Government will end the “costly” use of hotels to house asylum seekers by 2029.

She also committed to £39bn in affordable housing funding, as Labour looks to end Britain’s ever-worsening housing crisis.

Read more: Reeves vows to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by next election

But police departments across the country have been left furious by today’s measures, despite Ms Reeves pledging a 2.3% year-on-year increase in police spending.

Speaking to LBC, Tiff Lynch, Acting National Chairman of Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “We’re Incredibly angry, officers are going to be going into work knowing exactly where they stand in government’s priorities.

“We’ve got kids killing kids, violence against women – there’s so much going on out there and we can’t do this on a shoestring

“On what we’ve received today, I don’t think any of the government’s pledges are going to be a priority

“We’ve been taking on the work of other services for too long and we can’t take any more.”

The Chancellor said this funding, despite criticisms, would allow people to feel safe in their communities.

“Safe in the knowledge that when people break the law, they will feel the force of the law,” Rachel Reeves said.

“I am increasing police spending power by an average 2.3% per year in real terms over the spending review period to protect our people, our homes and our streets. That is more than £2 billion, supporting us to meet our plan for change commitment of putting 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles across England and Wales,” Ms Reeves added.

Speaking from the House of Commons today, Ms Reeves said the spending review would “deliver the priorities” of the British people.

After announcing a series of extra spending pledges in a speech that lasted around 45 minutes, she told MPs: “This is a spending review to deliver the priorities of the British people.

“Security, a strong Britain, in a changing world. Economic growth, powered by investment and opportunity in every part of Britain. And our nation’s health, with an NHS, fit for the future.

“I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of pessimism, division and defeatism… …I choose national renewal. These are my choices. These are Labour’s choices. These are the choices of the British people.”

During the speech, she confirmed defence spending would increase to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, an £11bn increase.

The Chancellor quoted Sir Keir Starmer who said the global security situation meant a “new era for defence and security” was needed. Increased spending would lead to jobs across the UK, she added.

She said: “A new era in the threats we face demands a new era for defence and security. That’s why we took the decision to prioritise our defence spending by reducing Overseas Development Aid so that defence spending will now rise to 2.6% of GDP by April 2027 including the contribution of our intelligence agencies.

“That uplift provides funding for the Defence Secretary, with a £11bn increase in defence spending and a £600m uplift for our security and intelligence agencies. That investment will deliver not only security, but also renewal in Aldermaston and Lincoln; Portsmouth and Filton; On the Clyde and in Rosyth. Investment in Scotland. Jobs in Scotland. Defence for the United Kingdom, opposed by the Scottish National Party delivered by Labour.”

Ms Reeves said £4.5 billion would be invested in munitions in Glasgow, Glascoed, Stevenage and Radway Green. £6 billion will be spent on upgrading nuclear submarine production in Barrow, Debry and Sheffield.

She added: “We will make Britain a defence industrial superpower. With the jobs, the skills and the pride that comes with that.”

Ms Reeves said the £39bn in extra funding for affordable housing would see the biggest increase in homes built in half a century.

She said: “A plan to match the scale of the housing crisis must include social housing neglected for too many decades, but not by this Labour Government.”

She continued: “Led by (Angela Rayner), we are taking action. I am proud to announce the biggest cash injection into social and affordable housing in 50 years. A new Affordable Homes Programme – in which I am investing £39 billion over the next decade.

“Direct Government funding that will support housebuilding especially for social rent and I am pleased to report that towns and cities including Blackpool, Preston, Sheffield and Swindon already have plans to bring forward bids to build new houses.”

Extra money will be spent on training and apprenticeships to stop people being “turned away at the door”, Ms Reeves announced.

Rachel Reeves said the £1.2 billion funding increase was needed to help people “thrive in the industries of the future”. She listed careers including scientists, engineers, designers as well as builders, welders and electricians.

She said: “I know the ambition, the drive, the potential of our young people. And it cannot be right that too often those ambitions and that potential are stifled when young people who want training find courses oversubscribed turned away at the door forcing growing businesses, eager to recruit that talent, to look elsewhere. Potential wasted and enterprise frustrated.”

Ms Reeves also confirmed the government is reviewing its Green Book, which will allow Labour to change which projects are approved across the country.

She said: “This Government takes seriously its commitment to investment, jobs and growth in every part of the UK. And I have heard the concerns of (Andrew Cooper) and (Andy MacNae) and the mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram that past governments have underinvested in towns and cities outside London and the South East. They are right.

“So I am today publishing the conclusion of the review of the Treasury’s green book, the Government’s manual for assessing value for money. Our new green book will support place-based business cases and make sure no region has Treasury guidance wielded against them.

“I said we would do things differently. I said that we wanted growth in all parts of Britain. And I meant it.”

Reeves announced £52 billion for Scotland, £20 billion for Northern Ireland, and £23 billion for Wales, as she pledged the “largest settlements in real terms since devolution was introduced”.

The Chancellor also announced £118 million will be spent on the safety of coal tips in Wales.

She told the Commons: “This spending review provides the largest settlements in real terms since devolution was introduced, with £52 billion for Scotland, £20 billion for Northern Ireland, by the end of the spending review period, and £23 billion for Wales.

“And having heard representations from many Welsh Labour colleagues and because I know the obligation we owe to our industrial communities, I am providing a multi-year settlement of £118 million to keep coal tips safe in Wales.”

She added there would be “additional funding to support up to 350 communities, especially those in the most deprived areas”.

Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has warned that Rachel Reeves will be perusing a “Corbynist catalogue” of tax rises to choose which will be introduced later this year.

He said: “The Chancellor knows she will have to come back in the autumn with more tax rises to fund these plans. Or can she assure us right now that this is not the case? Yes or no.

“We know that the Deputy Prime Minister has helpfully provided her with an entire brochure of tax rises that she will no doubt be perusing over the summer, the ‘Corbynist catalogue’.”

Mr Stride concluded by branding Rachel Reeves’ spending review speech as a “masterclass in delusion”, saying: “Her tone today suggests that all is well, the sunny uplands await.”

“What a hopeless conceit. A masterclass in delusion.”

Responding to the spending review, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay, said he was “horrified” to see the real-term cuts to the Environment Department’s funding “just as the impact of climate change is starting to affect our communities”.

“Now is the time to invest in climate resilience and preparedness,” he said. “These ‘tough decisions’ are actually ‘Labour’s political choices’.

“They are choosing to leave the economy tilted towards those with considerable wealth. Our frontline services continue to deteriorate through a political choice of decline by design.

“By introducing a wealth tax on the super-rich, we could instead properly invest in our children’s future.

“We could give them the education they deserve and start now to invest in the climate resilience and preparedness they will need throughout their lives as the climate crisis unfolds.”