It’s about control – not protection: this government funding choice betrays its priority – and it is clear that Labour is not interested in protecting the public.

Funny, that. Protecting the people is the first – prime – duty of a UK government. It comes above everything else. If Labour is abandoning it, then Labour is not fit to govern in any way at all.

The issue extends to the decision to boost the armed forces. If the government doesn’t want to protect us, then why is it building up our offensive power? What will the UK be fighting for?

Let me explain.

In a glaring display of priorities, the UK government has chosen to fund the police in full to cover the rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs)—but has left fire services dangerously underfunded, despite facing the same cost increase.

It raises serious questions about Labour’s priorities: Do our public services exist to protect and serve the public, or are they now for  maintaining control over the masses?

Remember George Orwell’s line about the future being a boot stamping on a human face repeatedly? Who would have thought a Labour government would try to bring it into being?

For the police, the government has committed £230m, fully covering the NICs increase imposed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her first Budget.

This financial cushion, which guarantees police forces won’t feel the pinch of rising employment costs, speaks volumes about what the government values most—maintaining order and control.

The police are, after all, the ones tasked with enforcing laws and quelling any unrest. In times of crisis, they are the government’s tool for keeping the peace, even if that means using force.

But for the fire and rescue services, the situation couldn’t be more different.

Despite facing a similar rise in NICs that directly impacts their wage bills, fire services are receiving, on average, just half the funding they need to cover these increased costs.

The result is a shortfall that could mean the loss of vital firefighting resources—resources that are crucial for saving lives and protecting property.

Phil Garrigan, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), expressed his concern, said he and his fellow chiefs would have reasonably expected to see fire treated in the same way as the police, with the whole shortfall covered.

But instead of prioritizing citizens’ safety, the government has chosen to provide a fraction of the funds needed to keep fire services operational.

The disparity is more than just a bureaucratic oversight—it’s a clear statement about what the government views as truly important.

While the police are funded to maintain control over the population, fire services are left to scramble for the resources necessary to save lives in emergencies.

This isn’t about protecting people; it’s about maintaining authority and control over the masses.

Fire services have already endured more than a decade of funding cuts, and this latest blow only adds to their precarious position.

The Fire Brigades Union warns that without proper funding, this shortfall could lead to even further reductions in service, putting lives at risk when every second counts.

By refusing to fully fund fire services while lavishing police forces with additional resources, the government is making it clear that it is more concerned with managing potential unrest than ensuring the safety of citizens in crisis situations.

The message is clear: this government’s priority is not the protection of the public from harm, but the enforcement of power to prevent uprisings, protests, and disorder.

This decision is a harsh blow to fire services across the country, and part of a broader pattern of neglecting vital public services in favour of those who serve the government’s agenda of control.

The question is: are we really willing to accept this prioritization of control over safety, when fire services, which are essential for keeping us alive, are being pushed to the brink?

Communities will now face ever-growing risks from fires, accidents, and other emergencies.

For this reason, the government’s failure to fund fire services properly should be a wake-up call.

We need to demand equal treatment for those who risk their lives to protect ours—before it’s too late.

It’s time to stop allowing our political repressors to burn the fire service to at the stake.