What was the Conservative promise?
In the 2019 manifesto - cheerily titled Get Brexit Done Unleash Britain's Potential - the promise wasn't just to recruit them but to put them on the beat as well. "We want everyone to have the fundamental security that comes from safe streets and safe neighbourhoods - so we are backing our police, putting 20,000 more officers on the streets, and giving them the powers to tackle crime with stop and search," it said.
Has the pledge been met?
Yes and no. As of 31 March, forces across England and Wales exceeded the 20,000 additional officer target by a total of 951. However, figures from the House of Commons, suggest progress may have been less impressive; according to these statistics, which are a bit older but measure officers on a "fulltime equivalent" basis, the number of full-time equivalent police officers across the whole UK stood at 150,000 in 2019, rising to 164,000 at the end of March 2022 - an increase of 14,000.
Are things better than under Labour?
This story is from the April 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the April 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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