Sarah Olney MP has now tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons

EDM (Early Day Motion) 650: tabled on 17 January 2025

The motion has to date been signed by seven Members, all Lib Dems.

Motion text

That this House recognises the excellent work that the Parks Police undertakes to minimise levels of crime in parks across London; notes the important role they play in tackling anti-social behaviour in open spaces; acknowledges their expertise in their domain; understands park users’ appreciation of their presence in assisting with policing matters; and urges the Home Office to provide the Metropolitan Police with sufficient funding to ensure that cuts to the Parks Police division are not on the table.

What is an Early Day Motion?

Am Early Day Motion (EDM) is a motion submitted for debate in the House of Commons for which no day has been fixed. As there is no specific time allocated to EDMs very few are debated. However, many attract a great deal of public interest and media coverage. 

They are used to put on record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns. By attracting the signatures of other MPs, they can be used to demonstrate the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.

It makes sense to include all the Royal Parks in the Motion, but given that they have deer herds and concentrations of traffic, Richmond and Bushy must be in a special category. And then there is the Site of Special Scientific Interest…..