POLICE budgets are an emotive issue.

There are fewer officers on our streets in the wake of years of drastic cutbacks from the Government.

Home Secretary and Hastings MP Amber Rudd argues that the cuts have been necessary to reduce our national deficit.

But in the wake of the General Election and indeed the Grenfell tragedy, calls have been made for the newly appointed Police and Fire Minister to reverse a “wave of austerity”.

Nick Hurd only started that role at the start of the week and any chance of a settling-in period were quashed by the tower block inferno.

Matt Webb, chairman of the Sussex arm of the Police Federation, made the call after expressing concern over the future of police budgets.

He said the federation hoped Mr Hurd would be able to talk to Home Secretary Amber Rudd and persuade her to talk to Chancellor Philip Hammond.

So what conclusions can we draw from all this, just nine days after that shock election result?

The overriding message to the Government appeared to be that the country is fed up with the austerity measures.

Indeed nobody would choose to enforce them but if we as a nation are spending more than we can afford then something has to be done.

PM Theresa May – obviously on the back foot at the moment – appears to be suggesting it may take longer to pay off the deficit than previously planned.

That would mean more money for our public services, which of course includes the police.