Simon McDougall attacks local MP over crime

7.27.14pm GMT Sat 17th Feb 2007

Local Conservative MP Nick Gibb is under fire over his failure to back a Liberal Democrat plan to cut crime.

The Liberal Democrat proposals were put to a vote in the House of Commons but were voted down by Labour MPs, with Conservative MPs not bothering to vote at all.

Simon McDougall, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, said:

"If we've learnt one thing from Labour and Conservative governments in the last twenty years, it is that tough talk alone doesn't tackle crime. We've had ten years of a Labour government talking tough, but failing to act. Violent crime has doubled and conviction rates have never been lower. Before that we had a tough talking Conservative government that cut the number of police!

"That's why the Liberal Democrats' new "We can cut crime!" campaign is about effective action on crime. Our proposals to cut crime are principled and practical: making prison work to cut repeat crime; giving victims fair compensation; using money for more police, not ID cards; honesty and transparency in sentencing.

"It is disappointing that Nick Gibb and his Conservative colleagues are unwilling to support the Liberal Democrat plan to cut crime. The Tories put forward no proposals of their own in the recent debate. They proposed no amendment to our motion and their spokesman's speech was a policy free zone. For all their talk about opposing ID cards when it came to voting to scrap them the Tories chickened out".

"Too many local people are living in fear of crime and are worried to go out after dark. Too many people are having their lives ruined by anti-social behaviour. It's time to fight back. And that's exactly what the Liberal Democrat crime plan would do."

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Liberal Democrat proposals to cut crime, or practical measures to make your home safer, should look at our website - www.wecancutcrime.com.