Jo Crotty to call for the threat of Warrington police cuts to be lifted

2.37.23pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 10th Sep 2008

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Warrington South Councillor Jo Crotty will call for more police funding for Warrington at her party's conference next week. "At conference I will be pushing for policies that call for more police funding," said Dr Crotty. "This year Warrington and Cheshire nearly lost 120 police officers. This was because the Labour Government gave us the lowest possible police funding increase - well below most measures of inflation. They even threatened to block local attempts to close the funding gap. It is solely down to local initiative that our officers are not being cut and we can pay for improvements such as the new Town Centre Policing Unit."

"However, the threat to our police force in the years to come remains. The Labour Government has not provided the money we need to keep our streets safe and we can expect the same raw deal from them in the future."

"A Liberal Democrat government would provide funding for 10,000 more police officers across the country. This would mean that Warrington would be able to increase its police force, and afford new initiatives, without local council tax payers being stuck with the bill."

Dr Crotty will feature in debates on this and other key issues as she leads a group of local party members to her party's national conference in Bournemouth next week. She will be working to ensure the party's policies will benefit residents back home in Warrington and in communities across the country.

"I will also be speaking up for pensioners and the pensioners of tomorrow who have to know that their retirement will be secure and there will be no return to the days of older people living in poverty."

"Also, in our debate on transport policy I will bring the need for investment in the North West to everyone's attention. Recently we passed a council motion here in Warrington calling for direct Government investment in a new bridge across the Mersey at Halton to avoid the tolls that would otherwise be placed on the crossing. The Liberal Democrats have policies that will benefit the whole of our country, not just London and the South East which seems to be the priority of the Labour Government currently in power."

"The issues I will be speaking on to conference mean a lot to local people. Rather than the failed policies of the Labour Government, or a Conservative Party that will not say what exactly it would do, the Liberal Democrats are proposing changes that will help make communities like Warrington safer, better off financially and we also are proposing giving more power to local communities so that they can decide what they need and what they want."

Dr Crotty, a lecturer in economics, will also be on the experts panel of a meeting concerning the future of the Manchester and the surrounding area hosted by the North West Development Agency.