The Fire Brigades Union has today called for the Labour government to provide urgent funding for the fire and rescue service, saying austerity has left UK “vulnerable to disasters”.
Fire and rescue services have been decimated by cuts in the past fourteen years, with 1 in 5 firefighter posts axed – amounting to 12,000 fewer firefighters compared to 2010.
The union’s annual conference has today passed a motion calling for funding, noting that Labour was elected on a manifesto which pledged to "improve resilience and preparation" for the fire and rescue service.
However, central funding for English fire services announced for 2025-26 was only 1.4%, lower than the current rate of inflation and amounting to another funding cut.
Ahead of Westminster's spending review this summer, the FBU is calling on the government to commit serious, sustained central funding to build UK-wide resilience to the increasing risks from climate change, the building safety crisis and an ageing population.
The move comes as union members voted to accept a pay offer of 3.2%. The union’s leadership has warned that there must be more substantial pay rises in the coming years.
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said:
By failing to provide the investment the fire and rescue service desperately needs, the government is putting the public in danger. The UK is being left vulnerable to disasters.
It is the government’s duty to identify threats to public safety and invest in the services needed to protect people from harm.
Since 2010, central government funding for the fire service has been decimated. This year, funding fell below inflation again, amounting to yet another cut.
The fire and rescue service is facing new challenges, with firefighters on the frontline of both the climate emergency and the building safety crisis.
Labour must start reversing austerity in the fire service by committing to urgent funding in the upcoming summer spending review.
That includes pay. This week, FBU members have voted to accept a pay offer of 3.2%. But we must see bigger pay increases in the coming years.”
