Police commissioner faces criticism from Northumberland councillors over proposed tax rises

Kim McGuinness, who is also Labour’s candidate for the upcoming North East Mayoral election, came under fire at a Northumberland County Council cabinet meeting.

Members were discussing the distribution of Northumberland’s collection fund surplus after more money than expected was collected via council tax and business rates.

The additional money will be shared out between the council, government and the police and crime commissioner.

Of the £11.43m surplus, £7.62m will be retained by the council and £3.47m will go to the government.

However, councillors hit out at the commissioner over the share of £337,000 that would be going to the police.

It comes amid a consultation from the police and crime commissioner on raising the police precept to cover spiralling costs.

Northumberland County Council’s council tax rise for 2024/25 has not yet been finalised. Figures for 2023/24 show that a Band D property would pay £1,721 to the council and £168.84 to the police precept.

Deputy leader Cllr Richard Wearmouth, said: “Everyone will recall that our Labour Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, has a tendency to keep on whacking up our bills far in excess of what the council does in terms of collection. She is receiving £337,000 to add to all of that money she has already taken from Northumberland residents with her tax hikes.

“We hope that she will seek to spend that funding in Northumberland, because there is plenty of things that we think the police could be doing.”

Cllr Guy Renner Thompson, cabinet member for education and the Conservative rival to Ms McGuinness in the mayoral election, added: “There is a consultation out at the moment asking residents for another 7.7% increase in the police precept, so perhaps residents might want to take that into account – that the commissioner is getting all this extra money from Northumberland while we have many crime problems.

“Just recently in my area we have had shops and pubs broken into and caravans stolen, and the police response has been lacking.”

After the meeting, the commissioner issued a statement criticising the Government for “falling short” when it comes to police funding. She warned a £12.1m gap needed to be plugged to offset financial pressures faced by Northumbria Police.

Ms McGuinness said: “The funds raised through the precept help us keep the wheels on as we keep fighting crime in the shadow of austerity. There are still stark financial pressures facing the force, totalling more than £7m, due to inflation and other rising costs in the years ahead.

“If police precept bills are frozen it would mean another £4m of cuts facing the force. It would certainly impact plans to invest further in frontline policing, keep more stations open longer and develop specialist crime units – these are things we want to deliver.

“Asking local council taxpayers to help fund our policing is a tough ask – household finances are tight enough for so many as it is. I firmly believe central government should provide the funds that would prevent putting them onto the public like this.

“We are being forced into this, but it is the only way we can afford to deliver the things residents want to see if we aren’t given sufficient government funding.”