Eastbourne MP says coastguard pay cut could threaten Beachy Head lives

Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde has warned that cutting callout pay for Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) will "decimate" the local rescue service and put lives at risk at Beachy Head.

Josh Babarinde raised the alarm in Parliament following plans by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to completely scrap the £11-per-hour payment that volunteer responders currently receive for emergency callouts and training sessions.

The Core Issue

The controversy centers around an MCA proposal scheduled for September 2026 to strip away emergency callout fees. A Court of Appeal ruling designated these volunteers as official "workers" rather than pure volunteers. Instead of providing full employment rights, the MCA intends to reclassify them as 100% voluntary, meaning they will only receive out-of-pocket expenses and mileage. 

Why Beachy Head is Vulnerable

Beachy Head, which sits directly inside Josh Babarinde's Eastbourne constituency, is heavily reliant on these highly trained coastguard teams. 

• High-Stakes Interventions: Beachy Head is regrettably one of the most visited suicide spots in the world. Local CROs regularly intervene directly at the cliff edge to save lives. 
• Crucial Presence: In his speech to Parliament, Josh Babarinde stated that the coastguards' presence "is often the difference between intervention and inquest." 
• Mass Resignations: A GMB Union survey revealed that 56% of south coast coastguards would have to cut their hours or quit entirely if forced to pay out-of-pocket to save lives. This loss of local knowledge would cripplingly lengthen response times. 

Political Backlash and Next Steps

Josh Babarinde joined a widespread political and public backlash against the MCA's decision, working alongside other coastal MPs like Helena Dollimore (Hastings and Rye) and Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe). 

• Ministerial Appeal: Josh Babarinde wrote to Maritime Minister Keir Mather to pause the short-sighted changes.
• Resignation Call: Josh Babarinde publicly called for the resignation of MCA leadership due to the crisis.
• Glimmer of Hope: Following last week's protests outside Parliament, the MCA called off planned meetings where coastguards were to be formally transitioned to the unpaid model, offering a temporary reprieve as pressure mounts. 

A national petition initiated by the Eastbourne Coastguard Team is currently gathering signatures to trigger a larger parliamentary debate on the funding cuts.