In May 2015, Theresa May gave a controversial speech to the Police Federation, accusing it of scaremongering over the impact of her cuts to forces across Britain. Just two years later, the Police Federation predictions May denounced as “crying wolf” have come true. And this failure in judgement cost Britain dearly.
The 20 May 2015 speech was covered extensively at the time, as May showing her Iron Lady credentials. As the BBC reported:
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has made an uncompromising speech to the Police Federation.
She warned the union, which represents rank and file officers in England and Wales, that if it does not reform, the government will impose change.
She also announced that public funding, which currently stands at nearly £200,000 a year, is to be withdrawn.
Police officers had warned that forces had been cut so extensively that they would be unable to respond to a major attack on UK soil. They said that the army would have to be drafted in to support. May responded:
'The Federation warned that spending reductions mean that we’ll be forced to adopt a paramilitary style of policing in Britain. Today, you said that neighbourhood police officers are an endangered species.
I have to tell you that this kind of scaremongering does nobody any good.'
Just two years later, it happened. Police forces do not have the numbers to conduct the extensive patrols required as the UK terror threat reaches ‘critical’. In the wake of the Manchester bombing, UK armed forces are now patrolling British streets.