Did Police Cuts Lead To Increased Crime? James O'Brien's Analysis Is Electric

9 April 2018, 11:52 | Updated: 10 April 2018, 12:54

James O'Brien accused Amber Rudd of stealing from the Boris Johnson playbook after insisting that cutting police numbers had no effect on crime statistics.

London has seen violent crime rocketing to figures higher than even New York, with a spate of stabbings and shootings across the capital.

The Home Secretary insisted government cuts were not to blame, but that was contradicted by a leaked report from her own department, which said cutting police officers was "likely" to have led to the increase.

James suggested that Ms Rudd is saying one thing, while evidence shows something completely different.

He played two fascinating clips that show how government ministers have been challenged on cuts - and still insisted they haven't affected the service.

He said: "There is a former Neighbourhood Police Officer of the Year telling the then Home Secretary Theresa May - remember her - that if this policy of cutting neighbourhood policing continued then the loss of local intelligence that that would entail could threaten national security.

"In Manchester, in Gorton. The neighbourhood next to Gorton is the one from which the Manchester Arena bomber hailed.

"So you'd think they'd learn from that, wouldn't you?

"You'd think that Boris Johnson claiming that reducing the number of firefighters improves the level of fire protection would be so embarrassing to his colleagues that they'd never dream of emulating him.

"Except today, Amber Rudd has done so."

Watch his stinging analysis at the top of the page.