Why are West Sussex MPs allowing the Government to penalise their constituents?

Latest figures show that the Government give more money to fund fire & rescue services in neighbouring counties than they give to West Sussex. It was already unfair in 2016/17, but it is set to be grossly unfair by 2019/20, with a 45% funding cut for West Sussex compared to a cut of just 17% for Hampshire.

Figures for 2016/17 show that East Sussex received £15.83 to protect each resident, whilst West Sussex only received £11.60, a quarter less. Previous cuts have caused West Sussex County Council to close fire stations, cut eleven front line fire engines, a quarter of whole-time firefighters and nearly half the on call (retained) firefighter posts.

In 2019/20 the Government will give East Sussex £12.85 per head 

West Sussex will get just £6.34 per head.

The Government require West Sussex County Council to provide an effective fire & rescue service, but with less than half the money given to East Sussex that will be impossible. Not only ludicrous and unjust, but it will inevitably cost lives.

I am sure some will have read of County Council Leader Louise Goldsmith’s sleepless nights, as she makes significant cuts to essential Council services. I fear her insomnia will only get worse, unless the County’s MPs do something to correct this injustice. 

Independent modelling of the last round of fire service cuts in West Sussex predicted the result would be, on average, an additional death every other year and extra property damage every year. How many more lives and how much more property will be lost, if they are forced to cut the fire & rescue service even more?

I have written to my MP, Gillian Keegan, to ask why West Sussex is being treated so badly and have asked what action she will take to have the imbalance corrected. I await a reply. 

If you live in other West Sussex constituencies, you might like to ask your MP why the Government consider your life to be less important than the lives of people in neighbouring counties.

Arundel and South Downs - Nick Herbert (herbertn@parliament.uk), 
Bognor Regis and Littlehampton - Nick Gibb (gibbn@parliament.uk), 
Crawley - Henry Smith (henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk), 
East Worthing and Shoreham - Tim Loughton (loughtont@parliament.uk), 
Horsham - Jeremy Quin (jeremy.quin.mp@parliament.uk), 
Mid Sussex - Nicholas Soames (nicholas.soames.mp@parliament.uk) 
Worthing West - Peter Bottomley (bottomleyp@parliament.uk)

Fire & Rescue funding figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government