Manchester Arena Inquiry: Budget cuts 'affected police response'

The loss of 2,000 officers to government budget cuts impacted the police response to the Manchester Arena attack, an ex-chief constable has said.

Ian Hopkins told the Manchester Arena Inquiry that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had to save £200m in the six years before the bombing in May 2017.

Mr Hopkins said it affected leadership roles and policies at the time.

However, he said it did not impact the front-line response on the night, which he said had been "really impressive".

The inquiry into the attack on 22 May 2017, in which 22 people were killed and hundreds more injured, has been hearing about the emergency services' response.

Mr Hopkins, who was GMP's chief constable at the time but stepped down from his post in December 2020, began his evidence by addressing the families of victims directly.

"I have met many of you in person... and I listened to the hopes, dreams and aspirations that you had for your loved ones and how they were ripped away from you," he said.

"I also saw your immense grief. All that will never leave me."

He said GMP had responded on the night "with the absolute intention of doing our very best in the most challenging of circumstances".

"In many ways, we achieved that, but I absolutely recognise that we did not always achieve our best."

Asked about the impact of government cuts to the force's budget, he said "a huge amount" had been "taken out of the organisation" in the years before the bombing.

He said there had been a 24% reduction in officers from 2011 until 2017 and the force "were not able to recruit new officers, which is why we came down by about 2,000".

He added that the cuts had also "meant the loss of leadership posts across the force".

Asked whether a link could be made between the cuts and police failures on the night, Mr Hopkins said he did not think it could "in terms of the immediate response... because I would still say there were some really impressive elements of that, particularly from our front-line staff".

"But I think in terms of some of the background... around policy and policies being updated, and the speed of which change was brought about, I absolutely think that has had an impact," he added.

The inquiry was adjourned until Monday.

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