Rishi Sunak responds after revelation that Sussex Police officers feel ‘worse off’ financially than they did five years ago

The Sussex Police Federation’s latest pay and morale report show that 84 per cent of officers feel more ‘worse off’ financially now than they were five years ago and 17 per cent ‘never’ or ‘almost never’ have enough money to cover all their essentials.

The report, published earlier this week, showed that 91 per cent of respondents have seen living cost increases in the previous month and 76 per cent of officers are dissatisfied with their pay.

Concerningly, 17 per cent of Sussex Police officers who responded to the survey said they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as [they] can’.

During his visit to Horsham on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said: “I would like to say thanks to all our police officers in Sussex and across the country with an incredible job, they do keeping our safe.

"One of our signature manifesto commitments was putting 20,000 more police officers on our street and I’m pleased that we deliver there. And that's what people want to see, and it's right that we've delivered on that.

“We also accept, in full, the recommendations of the independent pay review body last year which was around a seven per cent increase for last year for police officers.

“We're continuing to back our police and, when I talk to them, I’m making sure we're cutting bureaucracy for them, but also giving them the powers they need to tackle crime – whether it's stop and search or our new measures to seize knives when they see them or tackle anti-social behaviour.”

On the effect it is having on the cost of living for police officers, the PM replied: “That's why when I first got this job I said my number one priority was to halve inflation, I'm pleased that we've delivered on that.

"Inflation is now down from 11 per cent to around three and a half and at the start of this year you can see the economy has turn to corner.

"Not just inflation but wages have now been rising for several months in a row ahead of prices. Taxes are being cut by £900. That's just kicked in the last few weeks and pensions are rising by £900.