Metropolitan Police to Receive Increased Funding for Capital Policing

A Home Office minister announced on Tuesday that the Metropolitan Police is set to receive an additional £65 million next year to address the expenses associated with policing the capital city. Policing Minister Diana Johnson confirmed this increase, which is part of a special grant designed to compensate both the Met and City of London police forces for the supplementary security and other expenditures incurred while policing London. Under the 2025-26 police funding settlement, the forces will be allocated £255.2 million via the National and International Capital City grant, marking a £65 million rise from the 2024-25 settlement. While the force expressed gratitude for the grant’s enhancement, it noted that a deficit in overall funding persists. The minister attributed the 34% cash increase partly to what she termed “a substantial increase in protest activity in London in recent years.” Ms. Johnson also stated that the grant had not been adjusted for inflation for a minimum of five years. In a written statement presented to Parliament, the minister declared, “We recognise that the Metropolitan Police Service faces increased demands on resources from policing the capital city.” The Met, in its response, conveyed its hope that the government spending review scheduled for next year would “help fix our long-term funding issues and put us on a sustainable footing for the future.” A spokesperson further commented: “This will be hard for our dedicated officers and staff, but equally will have implications for policing London that we need to work through and communicate when the budget is finalised in the New Year.” The spokesperson also stated: “We must now work with the Mayor of London on how best to reduce our services so we live within our means, while doing our best to keep the capital safe.” The Met Police commissioner previously stated last month that the force would confront “eye-watering choices” if it did not secure additional government funding during the forthcoming spending review. Sir Mark Rowley informed the London Assembly that all services were “on the table” when evaluating potential areas for savings, and he could not assure that further police stations would avoid closure. He additionally cautioned that 2,300 officers and 400 staff might be cut next year due to a £450 million funding shortfall. Sir Mark conveyed to assembly members that these financial pressures represented “a cumulative impact of a decade or more” rather than solely an issue with this year’s budget. Sir Mark clarified that these projections are founded on planning assumptions that are subject to change until City Hall finalizes the settlement early next year. A Home Office spokesperson stated that the Budget had provided increased funding for the Met, with the force set to receive a total of up to £3.5 billion in 2024-25.