Exclusive: Tories Condemned As Number Of Firefighters Plummets

The number of firefighters in England has plummeted over the last nine years, HuffPost UK can reveal.

Figures uncovered by the House of Commons library show there were 35,700 firefighters in 2015.

But by 2022, that figure was 31,064 – a fall of 13%.

It means there were 0.7 firefighters for every 1,000 people in 2015, but only 0.5 for every 1,000 people in 2015. That is a fall of nearly a third.

The research was commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, whose home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “People deserve to feel confident that if there’s a fire at their home, help will be on the way immediately.

“With fewer and fewer firefighters in our communities it can be hard to feel that confidence.

“Time and again, this Conservative government has neglected public services at the expense of the British public. These statistics prove that unfortunately, firefighters are no exception.

“Conservative ministers must commit to ensuring that our fire services are properly staffed and fit for purpose.”

 A Home Office spokesperson said: “The government is committed to ensuring fire services have the resources they need to do their vital work and to keep the public safe.

“In 2023/24, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.6 billion. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.”