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Sly Tory ministers have been accused of "breaking their promise" not to cut police budgets.

Labour accused the government of "salami-slicing" police funding today as MPs were asked to sign off funds for 2017/18.

George Osborne famously bragged in 2015 that he'd give police funds "real-terms protection", saying: "There will be no cuts in the police budget at all. The police protect us, and we’re going to protect the police."

But the Police Grant Report, slipped out during a House of Commons Brexit debate earlier this month, shows the core cash grants given to police forces will fall nearly £100m next year to £7.325bn.

There are extra pots of anti-terror cash, but core funds will only be protected if police forces hike council tax.

And once inflation is counted, shadow Home Office minister Carolyn Harris accused ministers of "salami slicing... with real-term cuts of 2.7%".

Ms Harris said of the Tories: "They have broken their promise to Parliament that they would protect frontline policing.

(Image: Daily Record)

"They have left police forces across the country without the money they need to keep our citizens safe from crime.

"With funding cut every single year there are now 21,000 fewer police officers than there were in 2010."

She added: "They blithely promise Parliament that they will protect the frontline, just as they take away the cash that is needed to do so.

"They pass the buck to local taxation, even though the areas that need more resources are those with the least ability to raise funds.

"In the absence of any credible policy, the Government just keep cutting year after year in the hope it will all be okay. But it is not okay.

"The Government’s incompetence lets down the taxpayer. Their broken promises about further cuts to frontline services let down the public and are insulting to the hard-working and brave police officers right across this country."

Policing Minister Brandon Lewis rejected the claim.

The Tory minister said: "This funding settlement provides a fair and stable funding for the police that enables essential policing reform and transformation to go further and faster so that we make sure we are helping the vulnerable, we are cutting crime and supporting our communities."

He added: "Last year we protected police spending when precept is taken into account and I am pleased to say that the 2017/18 police funding settlement maintains this protection for police spending."

But former shadow home secretary Andy Burnham warned the minister may have "misled" Parliament - because funds were not protected in Manchester.

He added: "The promise at the 2015 spending review was real-terms protection for the police throughout this whole Parliament. Have you met that promise, yes or no?"

Mr Lewis replied: "Actually we have, as I have already outlined twice to you, met the promise at the spending review and for those police and crime commissioners who maximise their precept they actually are in the same position."

Mr Burnham later called on Mr Lewis to "tell the truth" on the issue as he warned local tax rises could not cover cuts in funding.

The Government is currently working on creating a fairer funding formula for the police but Mr Lewis said he would not set a timetable for it to be finished.

He said: "I have been very clear from the beginning that this is a very, very big piece of work. It is an important piece of work to get right."

Despite the row MPs backed the motion to sign off the police grant by 275 votes to 179, a majority of 96.

No Labour MPs voted in favour and just one Tory, Philip Davies, voted against.