"Getting extra police onto the streets of the North West is a more important priority in the fight against crime than the Labour Government progressing its multi-billion pound identity card scheme," says Liberal Democrat Party Leader Sir Menzies Campbell who will tomorrow (18/3/06) address the Spring Conference of the North West Liberal Democrats at St Mary's Chambers in Rawtenstall, Lancashire on his first trip to the North West since becoming Leader.
At the Conference the Liberal Democrats in the North West and Party Leader Sir Menzies Campbell will launch a petition calling for "Police not Plastic" to be the top priority of the Government in spending vital resources to tackle crime.
Sir Menzies will say:
"Parts of the North West are actually seeing police numbers being cut this year as a result of inadequate funding. Other parts of the region are being pushed into merging their police forces against the wishes of local people who fear that the police will become more remote under the new structures. Despite these Police cuts the Labour Government has already spent £32 Million on an ID card system whilst confusion reigns, from the Prime Minister down, over the costs, the benefits and the technology involved in such a scheme. Liberal Democrats in the North West and nationally say that Police not Plastic is the most direct and effective way of tackling crime in the Region and across Britain."
Wirral Councillor Gill Gardiner, Chair of the North West of England Liberal Democrats, added:
"It is great news that Sir Menzies Campbell has chosen to make one of his first campaign visits as Leader of the Liberal Democrats to the North West Region. The Liberal Democrats have doubled our number of MPs and MEPs in the North West in the last two years and were the only Party to increase our number of MPs in the region at the 2005 General Election. We now need to build on our recent successes which have included taking the Withington seat from Labour; winning back the Rochdale Parliamentary seat; electing Nelson-based Member of the European Parliament Saj Karim and gaining control of Pendle Council to make further breakthroughs here in Lancashire and across the whole of the North West. Having our Party Leader at our Spring Conference in Rawtenstall shows that we are stepping up our campaigning a further level in the North West Region. Our clear commitment to more Police on the streets of the region, as a priority for Government, shows that we are now more in touch with North West people than the tired Labour administration!"
End...
Friday 17th March 2006
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