"We'll keep exposing Labour's shameful record of neglect"

Sedgefield Liberal Democrats



Lib Dem candidate in the Sedgefield byelection Greg Stone has called on the Labour Party to 'stop the spin'. This follows a clumsy publicity stunt on the local BBC Politics Show by Labour's Candidate.

Greg was presented with a letter from Labour Councillor Peter Thompson. Councillor Thompson is the Labour Chair of the Labour dominated Durham Police Authority. He is a Durham City Councillor, who lost his seat as a County Councillor to the Liberal Democrats in May 2005.

The letter disputes that Durham Constabulary has lost 10 officers in the last year. In 2006-2007, the Durham Force employed 1716.15 Full Time Equivalent Police Officers (SOURCE: Durham Policing Plan Annual Report 2006-7) and this year they employed 1704.74 Full Time Equivalent Police Officers (SOURCE: Durham Policing Plan Annual Report 2007/8)

Greg said, "Labour can bluff all they like but the fact remains that the equivalent of more than 12 full-time officers were lost in the last year. The Labour Chair of the Police Authority should check his facts by going onto his own Police Authority website. It was only by imposing a staggering 34% increase in the police bill to every Council Tax payer that the Police Authority managed to avoid the cuts being much worse.

The Labour Government's support for our police is shameful. Any attempt by Labour to bury bad news will not be welcomed by residents suffering from a huge rise in their Council Tax Bills - It's time to stop spinning. What Labour are trying to hide is that whilst the cost of policing and crime is going up - the number of officers are going down.

"I have no doubt that Labour Councillor Thompson's intervention into this election is politically motivated and I am saddened by this. The clumsy attempt by Labour's candidate on regional television just goes to show that Labour are rattled and we'll keep exposing their shameful record of neglect.

Councillor Thompson earns £17,964 per year at a time when the force is faced with a funding crisis. I think residents will be appalled at his opportunism and I don't think he has done Labour any favours by misleading the public."

Sedgefield Lib Dems