“Our aim is simple: safe homes for all.”
By the Fire Brigades Union
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU), alongside supportive politicians, has launched ‘Cuts Kill’, a new national campaign calling for funding and investment in the fire and rescue service.
Since 2010, more than 12,000 firefighter posts have been lost, raising widespread concerns about public and firefighter safety. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which represents fire and rescue service leadership, has also voiced alarm over the prospect of further Government funding reductions, describing them as “incomprehensible and a threat to public safety.”
Steve Wright, General Secretary of the FBU, emphasised the significance of today’s parliamentary launch:
“Two weeks ago, our union stood united in Oxfordshire to oppose cuts to local fire and rescue services. That was a local fight, but it is part of a much wider national battle against all cuts. We share the concerns expressed by the National Fire Chiefs Council about the impact of further reductions.
That is why we will do everything we can to resist these cuts — building strong campaigns in our communities, bringing together the public, politicians and our members. If necessary, this will include balloting both locally and nationally to defend our services.
Our ‘Cuts Kill’ campaign sends a clear message to Westminster and to communities across the country: this is not about the interests of FBU members alone — it is about public safety. Our aim is simple: safe homes for all.”
The parliamentary launch of the campaign is supported by Kim Johnson MP, Chair of the FBU Parliamentary Group, who will table an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling “for urgent further investment in the UK’s fire and rescue services.”
Johnson has addressed the launch in Parliament, stating:
“Our demands are simple. We want this Labour government to deliver — and that starts with urgent investment. What we are dealing with is not an operational failure; it is a political failure. I am absolutely committed to ending the crisis that is putting the future of our fire and rescue service at risk.”
The parliamentary launch took place on 24 February 2026, at the memorial beside College Green. Speakers included Kim Johnson MP, Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Steve Wright, and firefighters from Oxford and Dorset & Wiltshire.
- You can find out more about the Cuts Kill campaign here.
- You can follow the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram.
- This article was originally published in a press release by the FBU on 24th February 2026.
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