Prime Minister Tony Blair has put the Labour Party case on law and order.
He said: “When I was elected an MP in 1983, the public did not associate the Labour Party with credible law and order policies."
“By the time I was elected leader of the Labour Party in 1994, the Tories had squandered their credentials on crime as comprehensively as they had on the economy; crime had soared and police numbers were being cut. A guiding principle of the establishment of new Labour was standing up for the interests of the many, not the few.
“With new Labour, the public have had a government on their side in tackling crime and its causes. We have record police numbers, tough powers that are taking on anti-social behaviour and a reformed criminal justice system which is being rebalanced in favour of the victim and witness, not the criminal. As a result, crime has gone down by 30 per cent since 1997 and concern about loutish behaviour has begun to fall. But it was never going to be an overnight job.”
On recent sets of crime figures, Mr Blair said: “The British Crime Survey will measure crime as experienced by members of the public. The recorded statistics will count the number of crimes reported to the police. For years, when Michael Howard was Home Secretary, police recorded crime did not count many scuffles and minor assaults which should have been classed as violent crime. The Association of Chief Police Officers wanted to change that and we agreed. It was the right thing to do. Every crime should be counted, even if it gives the wrong impression that violent crime has gone up.
“But whatever the figures tell us, despite falling crime and record police numbers, I know that fear of crime remains deeply felt in many communities. That’s why a third term Labour government will see major, radical changes to the way we police our streets. A dedicated local policing team for every neighbourhood, walking the streets, part of their communities. An increase from 4,000 to 24,000 police community support officers to ensure that visible policing presence. Local policing complementing the work of the new Serious Organised Crime Agency bringing together police and customs to tackle organised crime and terrorism.
“This is an ambitious programme which would remain at the heart of a third term new Labour government. It should be contrasted with the uncosted, shallow opportunism of Michael Howard, a man whose record as Home Secretary was so bad that he was virtually invisible in the 1997 General Election campaign and came last in the conservative party leadership election that followed. The man who cut police numbers when he was Home Secretary can only promise to pay for more if he finds his fantasy island to send asylum seekers to. His opportunistic misrepresentation of crime figures has rightly led to his being criticised by the Association of Chief Police Officers. He cannot pay for any of his empty promises on law and order.
“Our promises are ambitious but costed. They will help cut crime by a further 15 per cent and give greater power to local people to tackle anti-social behaviour. They will target the 9,000 most prolific offenders and ensure 150,000 more offences are brought to justice. They will ensure on law and order, new Labour continues to go forward, not back.”
Meanwhile David Davis pledged to be a tough Home Secretary who will make life a misery for Britain’s criminal classes.
Unveiling a six point action plan to be unleashed after the Conservatives win the May 5 General Election, he denounced the Blair government for talking tough but acting weak in the fight against crime and disorder. Mr Davis told an election campaign conference in London: "I don’t just want to talk tough. I will be tough. I won’t forget about the victims of crime as soon as the headlines go away and the dust has settled. Instead of pursuing headlines, I will relentlessly pursue those members of society who make people’s lives a misery."
He spoke of the wish to hang a placard containing the words ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ around the Prime Minister’s neck – in a bid to highlight how Mr Blair is all talk and no delivery. The Shadow Home Secretary added: "A million violent crimes a year is a million too many. Mr Blair has had eight years. As people watch the news, they are entitled to ask: ‘Isn’t that enough time to get a grip on crime?’ So if you’ve had enough of Mr Blair’s undelivered promises, his gimmicks and talk, and you are sick of the number of crimes in our communities, then the time has come to say enough is enough.”
