MARTIN PRESSES CASE FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION ON CRIME (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

MARTIN PRESSES CASE FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION ON CRIME

March 1, 2007 4:56 PM

Liberal Democrats from Cheltenham are heading to Harrogate this weekend to attend the party's spring conference. And topping the concerns they will be raising will be crime and anti-social behaviour.

Party members in Cheltenham have been carrying out a survey of residents about the effects of crime. And Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood is planning to raise the concerns of residents with Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Nick Clegg MP.

"The main debate at conference is about tackling crime," said Martin "Members will be debating our plans to make those causing vandalism and graffiti to clean up the mess they caused and to carry out tough community sentences."

"We will also be highlighting the Government's mess over prisons and the problems caused by the increasing re-offending rates, now the highest in Europe. Under Labour too many people go to prison, get released early and go on to re-offend. Liberal Democrats will break that cycle by greatly expanding prison training schemes."

"We will ensure more people leave prison, having served their proper sentence, as people with marketable skills who are a benefit to society rather than people who go straight back into a life of crime."

"Our survey shows that people in Cheltenham are very concerned about crime but are fed up with Labour's tough posturing and failed promises. People are also concerned about the need to have more police officers and prefer to use the money Labour plans to waste on the ineffective Identity Card scheme spent on employing more police instead."