More investment will be needed if the government wants to achieve its promise to cut violence against women and girls in half, Keir Starmer has been warned.
A major spending review set to be announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves next week will decide budgets for government departments for years to come.
Two senior government watchdogs have written to the Prime Minister to say those plans must include more funding for helping victims and survivors.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, and Baroness Newlove, the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales, were behind the letter.
According to BBC News, they wrote that with ‘bold and ambitious investment, we can finally tackle the systemic stain of violence and abuse’ and the ‘cost of inaction is one this country can no longer afford’.
They warned that ‘piecemeal policies’ were being caused by ‘funding cuts and scaled back ambition’.
The Home Office, which is responsible for victims, is reportedly still in negotiations with the Treasury over its funding deal in the review.
Yesterday, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips pointed to extra investment in County Lines operations as she announced a plan to outlaw coerced internal concealment.
Funding for the police, also controlled by the Home Office, has come under the microscope in recent days with Metropolitan Police head Sir Mark Rowley writing to the PM to express his concerns.
In his letter, he warned any budget cuts would have ‘far-reaching consequences’.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
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Asked about his intervention, Reeves said: ‘We will be increasing spending on police in the spending review next week, so that’s not a decision or a choice that I would recognise.’
Campaign group End Violence Against Women said on Monday they are ‘yet to see any detail’ on how the government’s commitment to halving violence against women and girls will be measured.
The coalition, which has worked with Metro on the This Is Not Right campaign, said: ‘We need a plan from the top that sets out clearly how the government intends to tackle this national crisis.’
Earlier today, Reeves tried to temper expectations ahead of her announcement next Wednesday by saying there were ‘good things I’ve had to say no to’.
The Chancellor said: ‘Not every department will get everything that they want next week and I have had to say no to things that I want to do too.’
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