Local MPs attacked over failure to back crime fighting plan
February 11, 2007 8:01 PM
Local LibDem Sue Baring is calling for more action on crime
Both Westminster's MPs - Conservative Mark Field and Labour's Karen Buck - are under fire over their failure to back a Liberal Democrat plan to cut crime. The LibDem proposals were put to a vote in the House of Commons but were voted down by Labour MPs, with Conservative MPs not bothering to vote at all.
Reacting, local Liberal Democrat spokesperson Sue Baring said:
"If we've learned one thing from Labour and Conservative governments over the last 20 years, it is that tough talk alone doesn't tackle crime. We've had 10 years of a Labour government talking tough, but failing to act.
"Violent crime has doubled and conviction rates have never been lower. Before that we had a tough-talking Conservative government that actually cut the number of police!
"That's why the Liberal Democrats' new We Can Cut Crime campaign is about effective action on crime. Our proposals to cut crime are principled and practical - making prison work to cut repeat crime; giving victims fair compensation; using money for more police, not ID cards; honesty and transparency in sentencing.
"It is disappointing that Mark Field and his Conservative colleagues are unwilling to support the Liberal Democrat plan to cut crime. The Tories put forward no proposals of their own in last week's debate. They proposed no amendment to our motion and their spokesman's speech was a policy-free zone. For all their talk about opposing ID cards, when it came to voting to scrap them, the Tories chickened out.
"And it is extraordinary that Karen Buck and her Labour colleagues could not bring themselves to vote for these sensible measures. After 10 years of tough talk and soundbites from the Labour government, while the Home Office stumbles from one disaster to the next, it is clear that Labour hasn't managed to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Isn't it time for a new approach?
"Too many local people are living in fear of crime and are worried to go out after dark. Too many people are having their lives ruined by anti-social behaviour. It's time to fight back. And that's exactly what the Liberal Democrat crime plan would do."
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Liberal Democrat proposals to cut crime, or practical measures to make your home safer, should visit www.wecancutcrime.com.
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