Insulate Britain's Road-Blocking Protests Cost Taxpayers at Least £4.3m

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has expressed his dismay over the cost of policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests, which have cost taxpayers at least £4.3m between September 13 and November 20. The Metropolitan Police spent £4m dealing with the climate group's stunts, with 6,651 officers and staff involved at a cost of £3.1m. The protests, which aimed to call attention to the need for the UK government to insulate all homes by 2030, caused long traffic jams and disrupted emergency services.

Key Takeaways:

• The Metropolitan Police spent £4m dealing with Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests between September 13 and November 20.
• 6,651 officers and staff were involved in policing the protests at a cost of £3.1m.
• The protests targeted major roads, including the M25, Manchester, Birmingham, London, and the Port of Dover, Kent.
• Four other police forces provided figures totalling more than £300,000, but only included overtime bills, suggesting the actual cost of policing the protests was higher.
• Insulate Britain's actions diverted police officers from vital work, causing misery to thousands of motorists and wasting public money.
• The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, described the cost of policing the protests as "appalling".
• Police made hundreds of arrests, but many suspects returned to the roads just hours after being released from custody.
• Ten Insulate Britain supporters have been jailed for breaching injunctions to ban protests on motorways and major A roads.

Statistics:

• £4.3m: the minimum cost to taxpayers of policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests between September 13 and November 20.
• £4m: the amount spent by the Metropolitan Police dealing with the protests.
• £3.1m: the cost of hiring 6,651 officers and staff to police the protests.
• £300,000: the minimum cost of policing the protests in four other police forces (Hertfordshire Constabulary, Surrey Police, City of London Police, and Greater Manchester Police).
• £220,000: the cost of obtaining the first three injunctions against the protests.
• 2-6 months: the prison sentences of ten Insulate Britain supporters who have breached injunctions.

Sources:

• The Metropolitan Police
• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps
• The Guardian