Eddie Hughes: The West Midlands deserves better from its PCC
Eddie Hughes has taken his row with the region's police and crime commissioner to Westminster, accusing David Jamieson of letting down people in the West Midlands during a House of Commons address.
The Conservative MP for Walsall North has been at loggerheads with Labour PCC Mr Jamieson over police budgets and station closures.
Addressing MPs during an opposition day debate on police funding, Mr Hughes said his constituents deserved a better service from the PCC and accused him of dodging scrutiny by failing to attend a meeting.
He also hit out at Mr Jamieson for making 'misleading' statements over the level of Government funding for West Midlands Police.
Mr Hughes, who has served on the West Midlands Police Authority, said his relationship with Mr Jamieson could best be described as 'strained' and read out a quote from him accusing the MP of voting for police cuts in Parliament.
"Personally I think this is misleading," Mr Hughes said, adding: "Since I was elected nine months ago, I have never voted for cuts in police funding."
He cited figures from the House of Commons library showing that total direct funding for police forces in England and Wales would increase to more than by 2.5 per cent over 2018/19.
"I have been on public record at meetings in my constituency stating that police funding should increase," he added, before criticising Mr jamieson for not turning up to a meeting in Willenhall in December where funding was discussed.
"He [Mr Jamieson] still says he doesn't have enough money despite raising council tax," Mr Hughes said.
"I'll continue to fight for more police funding for my constituents and our hard working police in Willenhall and Bloxwich, where I think the good people of my constituency deserve better services from their police and crime commissioner."
Mr Hughes has been a vocal critic of the PCC over his plans to close 24 police stations in the West Midlands. He has also accused him of embarking on a 'political crusade' for repeatedly attacking the Government over police funding.
Mr Jamieson maintains that the force needs £22m over the next year 'just to standstill', and that increasing council tax would only raise £9.5m.
There has not been a single extra penny of Government funding when you take into account inflation, he added, meaning that in real terms cuts have been inflicted on West Midlands Police.
