More than 5,000 people have contacted their MP demanding funding for frontline firefighters and control staff, as the Chancellor plans to publish his spending review on 25 November.
92% of MPs representing every party in Parliament have been contacted in the FBU’s campaign spanning all four countries in the UK.
A number of high profile MPs have back the FBU’s #FundTheFrontline campaign on social media including Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner, former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Shadow Housing Minister Mike Amesbury, and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.
The FBU has heard from constituents with Labour, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and Sinn Fein MPs that representations have been made to the Chancellor.
FBU members have raised concerns that Conservative MPs, including Cabinet Ministers Michael Gove and Dominic Raab, have either ignored requests for meetings or responded with a stock reply claiming that fire and rescue services have the funding they need, despite their constituents’ warnings about the dangers ahead for firefighters.
One Conservative MP wrote to the Chancellor on their constituent’s behalf, Jo Gideon, representing Stoke-on-Trent Central.
The FBU launched its #FundTheFrontline campaign last week, calling for immediate funding for another 5,000 firefighters across the UK.
There are 11,200 fewer firefighters and control staff than in 2010, a 19% cut, while fire control staff numbers have fallen by a quarter. Overall funding from central government has been cut by 38% since 2013 in real terms.
