Firefighters' union urges PM to cancel Trump visit

The FBU say the deployment of firefighters in Buckinghamshire is a misuse of resources

The firefighters' union called on Sir Keir Starmer to cancel Donald Trump's upcoming state visit, warning it could stretch a service already under pressure.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says crews are being asked to provide extra fire cover at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence in Buckinghamshire, where the US president is expected to meet Sir Keir on 18 September.

The FBU says Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service admitted staffing elsewhere in the county "may be compromised to accommodate it." Buckinghamshire fire service declined to comment.

A government spokesperson says: "We have no plans to cancel the state visit."

The FBU said fire and rescue services were facing substantial cuts locally and across England.

Steve Wright, the union's general secretary, says he believes lives may be put at risk.

"Now we learn that fire cover may be compromised to accommodate [the meeting]. This could hamper response times and public safety," he said.

"[Sir] Keir Starmer must cancel this state visit."

Fire service staff in Buckinghamshire had been offered overtime pay for the state visit, the FBU added.

The FBU says a second Donald Trump state visit is wrong, at a time when the fire service in Buckinghamshire is under pressure

The union warned that fire engines sent to Chequers would "have the recommended five firefighters", while local residents would "only get crews of four".

Chris Wycherley, FBU executive council member for the southern region, said the service had been "on its knees", due to "15 years of cuts."

"Buckinghamshire has spent all summer suffering a lack of resources. We have had wildfires, hot temperatures and low rainfall," said Mr Wycherley.

He said the public would see the deployment as "a cruel joke", adding that the fire service "exists to save lives, not to put on a show for far-right foreign leaders".

The FBU says one in five firefighter jobs have been lost in the UK since 2010, with response times now three minutes slower than in the 1990s.

It says climate change is increasing the strain on services.

The prime minister used his trip to the White House earlier this year to extend an invitation from King Charles III for the US President's second state visit.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "To keep the public safe, we've given fire and rescue authorities almost £3 bn in the last financial year to support their vital and life-saving work.

"We will continue to ensure services have the resources they need to protect our communities."

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service declined to comment.