If police must make cuts, royal security must be at top of list

To: The Editor, East Anglian Daily Times, 2/12/2009 (published 9th December 2009)

Dear Mr Hunt

We recently heard the news that Suffolk Police may have to cut its budget by £20 million over the next four years. With Police forces country-wide being asked to cut £500 million, the amount locally could increase further. This would seriously affect the levels of front-line policing in the county.

We believe that before these cuts are made and services adversely affected for every Suffolk citizen, the issue of royal security expenditure must be addressed:

The government tells us that we are not allowed to know how much is spent on policing for the royal family; estimates are between £50 million and £100 million. Whatever the figure, it has to be justified if front line services are to removed from our towns and villages.

Do the daughters of Prince Andrew need 24 hour police protection? Should the national police budget pay for this? Why did Freddie Windsor’s wedding need police helicopter surveillance? Other wealthy families pay for their own security.

It is time the government came clean on royal protection. There is no justification for secrecy. If the people of Suffolk are to lose police services, then we need to know why the royals aren’t facing security cuts too.

yours sincerely

Pauline Godfrey

www.suffolkcoastalrepublic.org

Read the original press cutting