UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Tory MP Matt Vickers slams Labour over falling police numbers, linking tax hikes to reduced safety as the UK ready for unrest amid rising migration tensions.
As reported by GB News, Matt Vickers said migration has dramatically risen since Labour took office, calling it “on steroids.”
His remarks followed warnings from Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, who both warned about a potential “summer of unrest.”
Matt Vickers’s views on police cuts and National Insurance
The Shadow Minister for Crime and Policing said official figures show 1,316 police officers have left the force in the past year. He blamed the decline on National Insurance increases announced in the October Budget, saying the government is “literally taxing the police off our streets.”
He stated,
“I think one of the reasons they won’t be prepared is because, under the last Government, we had record numbers of police on our streets. We said this would happen when the Budget was released, and when our police forces were slammed with that National Insurance increase.”
Mr Vickers said,
“They’re literally taxing the police off our streets. That has real consequences in all sorts of situations, particularly if what they’re predicting for this summer actually happens.”
The host reminded the MP that although officer numbers eventually rose, they had first been slashed under Conservative leadership.
Mr Vickers replied,
“They were higher than ever. We put 20,000 more police on the streets. That’s literally the highest number ever. We don’t want to be going backwards on policing; we want to go forward. We should be adding more police. But this Government, we told them what would happen, and now we’re already down 1,316 officers. That’s fewer police on the streets in communities like mine and yours. That has real consequences, especially given what they’re saying might happen this summer.”
When questioned about the recent violence in Epping and Canary Wharf, and reform leader Nigel Farage’s warning of a summer of unrest, he responded,
“I think there are two sides to this. On one hand, you’ve got individuals turning up from here, there and everywhere with extreme views just coming in to cause trouble. Those people need to be treated very differently from real people, ordinary people, who are concerned about what’s going on in their communities and who have the right to protest.”
The shadow minister said,
“You’ve got to separate those two groups. And there have to be real consequences and sanctions for people who bring violence into those communities. Because the reality is, the people who lose out are the locals. When violence erupts, people have punch-ups in the street and create chaos, and the consequences fall on the community. Elderly residents don’t go out at night because they’re scared.”
Mr Vickers stated,
“Businesses shut early, take a financial hit, and are afraid to open. Staff can’t get to work. There are real consequences to this sort of violence on our streets. We don’t want to see that, but at the same time, people should have the right to protest about what is a terrible situation. And some of the incidents being reported involving migrants are, frankly, appalling.”
The Conservative MP added,
“The situation was very bad, unacceptably bad, and now it’s on steroids. He’s rolled out the red carpet. He’s said to people he has changed the law in the House of Commons to say that if you arrive in this country illegally, you can become a British citizen. That’s appalling. That’s atrocious.”
How is the UK government responding to rising tensions after the Epping protests?
Demonstrations at an asylum seekers’ facility in Epping have sparked growing concerns over increasing community tensions.
A taxpayer-funded hotel in Epping was the scene of violent incidents, while a separate protest was held in Canary Wharf.
Sir Keir Starmer pointed out the urgent need to restore Britain’s “social fabric”. He firmly condemned the unrest, stating there is “never ever any excuse for it,” while admitting there is public discontent to be addressed.
What did Jonathan Reynolds say about summer unrest?
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated,
“All the government, all the key agencies, the police, they prepare for all situations.”
He said,
“So I wouldn’t want you to be talking this up or speculating in an unhelpful way. Of course, the state prepares for all situations.”
Mr Reynolds added,
“And I understand the frustrations people have, but ultimately, you solve those frustrations and solve the problem by fixing and getting a grip on the core issue, which is what we’re doing.”
Illegal migrants in the UK in 2025
- 86% of irregular migrants (38,000+) came by small boats by March 2025.
- Afghans were the largest group, followed by Syrians, Iranians, Eritreans, and Sudanese.
- Albanian numbers dropped (only 626 in 2025) due to a return deal. More Vietnamese and Indians are now coming.
- 94% of boat arrivals applied for asylum.
- 53% of processed claims since 2018 have received protection.
- The asylum backlog fell to 79,000 by March 2025 -down 41% since 2023.
- 80% of those returned in 2025 were Albanian.
- Total forced returns rose 22% in 2025, mostly Albanians, Romanians, and Brazilians.