4 local Lib Dem MPs condemn Manchester Police Cuts

8.43.33pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 16th Feb 2006

Withington Liberal Democrat MP John Leech has joined forces with three Greater Manchester Lib Dem MPs Mark Hunter, Paul Rowan and Andrew Stunell in condemning cuts of £14million to Manchester's Police force.

The four have signed Early Day Motion 1643 which supports Chief Constable Michael Todd's efforts to get this cut reversed, and points out that the Government are committed to introducing ID cards which will cost billions - money which would be better spent putting more police on the beat.

John Leech said today,

"The Labour Government should be prioritising police not plastic. The Chief Constable need the resources to do the job properly, and this £14million cut could lead to 200 less Officers. I urge the public to support Michael Todd's efforts to get this £14million back, money even the Government's own funding formula says he is entitled to."

Ends...

Early Day Motion 1643 reads:

That this House notes with concern reports in the Manchester Evening News that Greater Manchester Police face a budget shortfall of up to £14 million and that this could result in a reduction of up to 200 police officers, reducing overall numbers to under 8,000, the minimum figure that Chief Constable Michael Todd has said is needed effectively to cut crime; welcomes plans by the Police Authority to come to London for crisis talks to avoid damaging cuts to the police budget and urges the Government to bridge the budget shortfall; further notes that the Chief Constable has said that his ideal force would consist of 11,000 police officers; and believes that an additional 3,000 officers on the streets of Greater Manchester would be a more effective method of tackling crime and disorder than the Government's proposed identity card scheme; and therefore urges the Government to abandon plans for identity cards in favour of more police on the streets of Greater Manchester and throughout the rest of the country.