The anticipated loss of 1,900 Metropolitan Police officers will be significantly reduced, Sir Sadiq Khan has confirmed, as he announced plans to channel an £83 million council tax windfall into front-line policing.
This announcement comes as seven additional London boroughs reveal plans to increase their share of council tax bills by the maximum allowable amount, just under five per cent.
Labour-led Barnet is set to surpass the £2,000 annual threshold for the first time for a standard band D property, incorporating the mayor’s £490 precept. Meanwhile, Conservative-led Harrow is expected to impose the third-highest bill in London, nearly £2,400, trailing only Kingston and Croydon.
Sir Sadiq has revised his £21 billion annual budget to include an extra £10 million in projected council tax income and £73 million in government grants, all of which will be directed towards the Met Police. This brings his additional policing investment to a record £320 million for the 2025/26 financial year.
As a result, the total City Hall expenditure on policing for the upcoming year will reach £1.159 billion, the highest level of investment ever made by the mayor’s office.
The mayor’s council tax precept is set to increase as expected by four per cent, reaching £490.38 for band D properties. This levy applies to all households across Greater London.
City Hall has stated that the additional funding will safeguard “hundreds” of police officer roles and reduce expected cuts to specialist units. However, the Met’s anticipated staffing levels from April will not be disclosed until next month.
In December, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley cautioned that budget shortfalls could lead to the loss of up to 2,300 officers. This estimate was later revised to 1,899 officers, which would leave the Met with a total of 30,553 officers.
Sir Mark also warned of potential reductions to the Met’s dog unit and the possible disbandment of the Royal Parks police force.
Conservative politicians, including former London mayoral candidate Susan Hall, have repeatedly urged the mayor to allocate any additional funding to the police force.
Crime rates have been rising, with shoplifting alone increasing by 50 per cent year-on-year. However, City Hall noted that the number of teenage homicides in London last year was the lowest recorded since 2012.
Sir Sadiq said on Tuesday: “Bearing down on crime and keeping Londoners safe is my top priority as mayor, and I will always use all available resources to fund the police.”
He added: “Despite this record-breaking additional funding, the Met still faces financial difficulties due to more than a decade of cuts imposed by the previous government.”
The seven boroughs that have announced council tax increases are Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Camden, City of London, Hackney, Harrow, and Southwark.
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With these latest announcements, 31 of London’s 33 boroughs have now confirmed their council tax rates. Enfield and Hillingdon are the only boroughs yet to disclose their figures.
Harrow, where band D bills are expected to rise to £2,395, relies heavily on council tax revenue, which accounts for 80 per cent of its budget, due to receiving relatively lower levels of government grant funding.
Barnet, where a band D property will be charged £2,035, has sought “exceptional financial support” of £55.7 million from the government to balance its budget.
Hackney, meanwhile, has indicated that it will need to withdraw £10 million from reserves and implement a further £51 million in savings or revenue increases by 2028-29. The borough has also allocated an additional £135 million to tackle the ongoing homelessness crisis.
As London boroughs continue to grapple with financial pressures, the mayor’s investment in the Met Police will be a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of crime prevention and law enforcement efforts in the capital.
