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London's firefighters in need of government intervention to protect service from massive cuts

FIREFIGHTERS urged the government today to deliver emergency funds to protect London’s fire service from multi-million-pound cuts.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) faces £20 million in cuts as part of a £431m pandemic deficit plan being imposed on the capital, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said.

The union called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to step in and protect the service from the “deadly cuts” which it warned could seriously damage fire cover.

As London mayor Mr Johnson cut LFB’s budget by £150m — closing 10 fire stations, scrapping 27 fire engines and slashing firefighter numbers by 1,242.

Now his government has refused to provide emergency financial support to Sadiq Khan’s City Hall, which is having to make the cuts, the FBU said.

General secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters in London have gone above and beyond to aid the pandemic response.

“Cuts of this scale would be deadly under any circumstances, but we’re in the middle of a global pandemic with no end in sight.

“London is the epicentre of the building-safety crisis exposed by Grenfell and the city remains a primary target for terrorists. 

“It beggars belief that the government is willing to turn a blind eye and do damage to a critical emergency service in the capital.

“From City Hall Boris Johnson inflicted the biggest cuts in the history of any UK fire service and the brigade still hasn’t recovered from the damage.

“If he doesn’t step in to provide emergency financial support now, he will be remembered as finishing the job he started as mayor.”

The government was contacted for comment.

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