The Tories record on Law and Order is just as atrocious as their record on the economy. Indeed, one only needs to look to Andrew Mitchell, a Tory cabinet member who’s been making headlines recently for a foul mouthed tirade against a police officer, to sum up the Tory attitude to our police force. George Osborne might have lost the plot, but he’s got a good friend in Home Secretary Theresa May.
The Tories record on Law and Order is just as atrocious as their record on the economy. Indeed, one only needs to look to Andrew Mitchell, a Tory cabinet member who’s been making headlines recently for a foul mouthed tirade against a police officer, to sum up the Tory attitude to our police force. George Osborne might have lost the plot, but he’s got a good friend in Home Secretary Theresa May.
Cuts to the police have already resulted in a huge 7,000 fewer frontline police staff nationally. For Wiltshire, this is a loss of 64 – with more to come; an estimated 119 in total over the whole Parliament. By the end of the Parliament, the Tories will have cut a whopping 15,000 police jobs.
Perhaps these reductions in police numbers are the driving force behind watering down of anti-social rules. Under Tory proposals, victims would need to make 3 separate complaints of anti social behaviour before getting a response. Or perhaps these reductions are the reason crime has stopped falling, as shown in the Crime in England and Wales Survey.
In any case, Labour’s policy in this area is simple: tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime. Where the Tories cut 20%, we’d back cuts of 12% (and this wouldn’t affect front line policing numbers). We believe victims of anti-social behaviour shouldn’t have to wait for 3 complaints before getting a response.
There is no strategy from this Tory led government – only a plan to cut frontline police and spend £100m on politicising the force with the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners; something no one except the Tories want. Whilst Labour opposes this blatant politicising of the force, we’ll be fighting for Labour candidates like Clare Moody, the candidate in Wiltshire. This isn’t hypocrisy as our MP suggests – it’s far too important an issue to leave to Tory candidates who will simply be cheerleaders for cutting frontline police.
