Labour: Calling in army shows “extent to which police have been cut”

Labour has criticised the government for suggesting the army could be used to enforce Covid restrictions, pointing out that the move lays bare “the extent to which the police have been cut over the last ten years”.

Opposition frontbencher Rachel Reeves told Sky News this morning that Labour supports the new coronavirus restrictions but believes the police have handled enforcement of Covid rules “really well” so far.

Reeves told Sky: “We all want the new rules to be obeyed and for people to stick by those and I think what we’ve seen over the past few months is that despite very tough measures the vast majority of people have stuck with those because they know it is the right thing to do.

“I think it does tell us something about the extent to which the police have been cut over the last ten years that the government are even talking about having to use the army to support them.

“We have policing by consent in this country and the police, I think, have handled these restrictions in the last few months really well and have taken people with us, and I think that’s really important.

“The best way to get people to stick by these rules is for them to understand them to understand their significance and then, as I say, as we’ve seen so far, the vast vast majority of people want to do what is right.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a set of new Covid restrictions on Tuesday, including a 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants and an extension of the ‘rule of six’ to encompass indoor sports teams.

He also warned of tougher restrictions on those who flout the regulations, telling the Commons that in enforcing the rules the government had “the option to draw on military support where required to free up the police”.

Nick Thomas-Symonds wrote a letter to his Home Office counterpart Priti Patel last night saying Labour was “happy to work together” with the government on the policy “if military support is now necessary”.

But the Shadow Home Secretary called for clarification on a variety of unanswered questions:

• “What preparatory discussions have been held with representatives from senior policing, frontline officers, police and crime commissioners, local authorities and others about the use of the military to support policing;
• “What are the duties that have been recommended by policing representatives that military support could help fulfill?
• “Have any discussions been held about the military fulfilling any public-facing roles?
• “How long is the initial period of support offer available and what is the estimated cost to the military?
• “If this is a longer-term commitment, will additional training be required for military personnel?”

Former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott responded to the letter from her successor by tweeting: “But bringing in the military is also wrong in principle.”

The new restrictions have been announced after a rapid rise in the number of Covid infections in the UK with academics estimating this month that the reproduction ‘R’ rate of the virus could be as high as 1.7.

Labour on Monday attributed the recent increase in the number of cases to government “incompetence and failure” after a televised Covid briefing suggested that the country is on course for up to 50,000 new daily cases by mid-October.

Below is the full text of last night’s letter sent by Nick Thomas-Symonds to Priti Patel.

Dear Priti,

I write in relation to the announcement made by the Prime Minister to the House of Commons about the police having ‘the option to draw on military support where required to free up the police’.

The fact that the military may be needed to support policing functions shows the extraordinary pressure that policing has been put under, as a result of the thousands of officers lost under this government.

As you know, the Labour Party is committed to working constructively and if military support is now necessary we would be happy to work together on this matter. However, it is yet another striking example of how depleted resources have become following a decade of a Conservative government.

I have raised on numerous occasions the failings of this government on crime, particularly in areas such as domestic abuse and knife crime. As a result, it is deeply concerning to hear the Prime Minister make clear just how stretched police resources now are, at a time when crime has been steeply rising, especially violent crime.

These latest sets of Covid measures should not have come as a surprise, so it is vital that assurances are provided that proper planning has been undertaken. As a result, I would be grateful if you could answer the following questions:

• What preparatory discussions have been held with representatives from senior policing, frontline officers, police and crime commissioners, local authorities and others about the use of the military to support policing;
• What are the duties that have been recommended by policing representatives that military support could help fulfill?
• Have any discussions been held about the military fulfilling any public-facing roles?
• How long is the initial period of support offer available and what is the estimated cost to the military?
• If this is a longer-term commitment, will additional training be required for military personnel?

In my discussions with senior figures in policing, I have been concerned to hear that there has been insufficient consultation on this significant announcement.

I look forward to your answer.

Yours sincerely,
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP
Shadow Home Secretary