Tories run scared on police funding

10.11.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 18th Nov 2004

Wansdyke Lib Dem Parliamentary Representative, Cllr Gail Coleshill, forced Conservative Councillors to run scared and withdraw their own police funding motion after Lib Dem Councillors revealed it was the previous Conservative Government who caused the police funding crisis.

Cllr Gail Coleshill (Liberal Democrat; Peasedown St John), Wansdyke PPC, says:

"The Tories seemed to run scared because of the Lib Dem amendment which has circulated at the start of the meeting that pointed out it was the previous Conservative Government that caused this funding crisis.

"Liberal Democrats had previously lobbied Michael Howard to increase police funding when he was Home Secretary. He refused to deal with the issues that we raised, including the police pension crisis, which is now crippling Police Authorities across the country.

"Dan Norris' New Labour are not without blame in this area as well. They are starving our police services of the additional funding they need while at the same time asking them to carry out increasing duties. As usual it is the local Council Taxpayers who end up losing."

The last Conservative Government had promised an additional 5000 police officers yet when they were thrown out by the people they had managed to cut police numbers by 500. The number of convictions fell under the Tories.

Contact: Cllr Gail Coleshill on 01373473618 or 07811657798.

Or if you cannot get the above contact Rachel on 07968 227283.