Shailesh Vara MP recently hosted a meeting in Parliament to discuss a number of local policing matters. Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly also attended as did Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston and Chief Constable Nick Dean.

Among the issues discussed was the disparity in payment of the South East Allowance. This is an additional payment made to police officers in some forces to reflect the cost of living in the South East region. While the allowance is provided to officers in neighbouring areas, such as Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, it is not extended to Cambridgeshire officers.

Moreover, Liz Groom, Chair of the Cambridgeshire Police Federation, also attended the meeting and spoke of the need to change the national police funding formula, which is the process by which financial resources are distributed to police forces more generally. It is felt that Cambridgeshire does not receive its due allocation and this can be rectified by reviewing the funding formula.

It was agreed that Mr Vara, along with Mr Djanogly and other Cambridgeshire MPs, would follow up some of the issues with the Home Secretary, James Cleverly MP, especially regarding the disparity in the allocation of the South East Allowance.

Following the meeting, Mr Vara said:

“I was very pleased to host this meeting and there is clearly much to be done to ensure that there is fair treatment and payment for Cambridgeshire police officers.  

“I will be working with my colleague Jonathan Djanogly and other Cambridgeshire MPs to take matters up with James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, especially with respect to the payment of the South East Allowance.

“It simply isn’t right that while officers in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire receive this allowance, their colleagues in Cambridgeshire are excluded from it, despite the very close collaboration between the forces.”

Photo: (from left to right) Joshua Richards (from the office of Lucy Frazer MP), Jonathan Djanogly MP, Darryl Preston, Tiffany Lynch, Belinda Goodwin, Stuart Taylor, Liz Groom, Shailesh Vara MP and Nick Dean.