more … ]]> Research conducted by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that the police spent a total of 56 million hours filling in paperwork last year. In a keynote speech to the Police Federation, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell said:

“The police have been turned into bureau cops.

“The police should be allowed to get on with what they do best, fighting crime and catching criminals, not wasting millions of hours on paper work each year.

“When I speak to police officers I hear again and again that officers’ time is wasted re-entering the same information on multiple forms.

“Six years ago there was a promise to cut the bureaucracy in the Home Office Report Policing a New Century: a Blueprint for Reform. But last year police officers spent a fifth of their time on paperwork. Across the entire service, it’s a staggering 56 million hours.

“There should be a proper assessment of how IT systems, voice recognition technology and hand-held equipment can free police time from form-filling. And there should be a guarantee of the funding to make it happen.

“Civilian staff should also provide greater clerical support to relieve officers from that variety of work.

“We should cut bureaucracy. And in return encourage increased police visibility.”

Menzies Campbell called for the politics to be taken out of policing. He attacked the Labour party and its succession of home secretaries for talking tough and proposing headline grabbing gimmicks rather than focusing on practical measures that will cut crime. He said that it was the police that take the blame when gimmicks fail.

He said:

“When the right to protest is restricted, for example, it’s the police who have to enforce it.

“And when individuals choose to defy unpopular laws, it’s the police who must arrest them.

“Police officers are being used to enforce bad decisions made by government. This should stop. We must take the politics out of policing.”

Commenting on Conservative plans for elected chairs for police authorities, Menzies Campbell added:

“The Conservatives have proposed elected chairs for police authorities. I do not believe that this is the right way forward. How would such elections be conducted?

“And who would stand? Would parties put forward candidates of their own? We need our police to pursue criminals, not chase votes.

“We need local accountability, yes. But a political police service, no.”

Concluding Menzies Campbell said:

“Twenty-first century police services require reform. Politicians and police can work together in order to do that.

“By giving police the powers that they need, and removing those that they don’t.

“By lighting a bonfire of centralised targets, and establishing local accountability in their place.

“By banishing bureaucracy, and increasing police presence on the beat.

“By rewarding hard work, and ensuring a mixed skill set within our forces.

“And by defining police structures on the basis of local needs. In this way, we can take the politics out of policing and ensure a healthy future for a police service that is accountable, responsive and effective.”

more … ]]> Urging people to vote Liberal Democrat in the 2007 May elections, Ming Campbell focused on crime and the environment, the key themes that the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on:

“Labour has presided over a failing criminal justice system. Less than one in 100 crimes are now punished in court, violent crime has risen, and reoffending rates are now at record levels. Mr Cameron is not prepared to speak plainly about what needs to be done either. But I am.

“We need a new approach to crime. We need to make prison work by rehabilitating prisoners and cutting reoffending. We need more police on the streets. We need to take back our town centres by allowing communities to close the pubs and clubs that cause trouble. We need compulsory work and training to give prisoners the skills and opportunities that make reoffending less likely. We need a Victim Compensation Fund, paid for by prison work. And, to increase public faith in the system, we need honesty in sentencing: sentences should mean what they say.

“On the environment, Labour’s record is wanting too. When Britain most needed a green chancellor, Tony Blair gave them a Brown one. The Chancellor’s record on tackling climate change is one of inaction and delay. He could have raised green taxes but he chose not to.

“But for us concern for the environment is not a passing fashion but a central and longstanding principle.

“That is what our politics is about. An adherence to principles even when the prevailing fashion is ranged against them. That’s why we voted against the Iraq war when the fashion in Parliament and the media was to be for it.

“It’s why nearly two decades ago we adopted radical policy proposals to cut emissions and curb climate change. We didn’t need to wait for a focus group to tell us what to do. The other parties may favour fashion over principle. But we won’t.”

You can read in detail about the Liberal Democrat policies for cutting crime at www.wecancutcrime.com and for improving the environment at www.libdems.org.uk/environment

If you need to contact your local council about the elections (e.g. to request a replacement postal ballot paper) you can find details at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk or you can contact the Liberal Democrats on 020 7222 7999.

more … ]]> Commenting on reports that the US issued a diplomatic protest over Britain’s decision to drop the investigation into alleged bribery by BAE, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell said:

“American dismay at the British decision to discontinue the BAE investigation is a grave embarrassment to the Prime Minister.

“Reports that the UK has been trying to undermine the OECD investigation into these allegations only serve to underline the grubby and squalid nature of this whole matter.”

more … ]]>
Ming Campbell today visited the Gostwick Road Cop Shop in Bedford, with mayoral candidate Christine McHugh. The cop shop serves as a local base for officers on the beat and is open to all local residents who wish to have access to their local police as they can drop in to report anything they feel needs reporting.

Ming also met local Liberal Democrat candidates and supporters.

more … ]]>

Visiting Liverpool today, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell called for the Government to stop wasting money on ID Cards and instead invest in more police.

He highlighted the fact that Liverpool has now been turned down twice by the Government for 200 extra police officers during its year as the European Capital of Culture.

Commenting, Menzies Campbell said:

“This Government is already wasting £97,000 a day on an expensive, illiberal ID card scheme. This money should instead be spent on more police officers.

“It is astonishing that Liverpool in its year as the Capital of Culture has been turned down for additional police.

“Tessa Jowell said that ‘Liverpool will become a cultural beacon of the world’. Surely the Government has an obligation to do everything necessary to support Liverpool during 2008.

“Millions of visitors will come to Liverpool to celebrate it as the Capital of Culture. Large crowds need proper policing to prevent opportunistic crime, and these days, sadly, to protect against terrorism. Extra police officers are essential if next year is going to be a success.

“I hope that Tony McNulty’s visit to Liverpool today will persuade him to change his mind on this issue.”

more … ]]> Speaking to the Welsh Liberal Democrats conference, Ming Campbell said:

It is a pleasure to be here in Wales this weekend.

And as the Six Nations clash between Scotland and Wales is now a full month ago, I feel relieved to be here today rather than on 10th February.

I trust that good relations are now fully restored.

It is a very fine judgement for me which is the more important – rugby or politics.

For me politics is about determining what is in the national interest and acting upon it.

And we should do it with determination, seriousness and vigour.

Liberal Democrats should always see politics in this positive way.

We should always see political challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities.

And that is how I see this May’s Assembly election.

It’s an opportunity.

An opportunity for the Welsh Liberal Democrats to win more votes and more seats.

An opportunity to increase the influence of liberalism in Welsh politics.

Last weekend in Harrogate I made clear that I am not content to lead a party whose sole purpose is opposition. I did so because it is by governing that we have the opportunity to make the changes that will benefit people. And our experience in Wales is testament to that fact.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats lead councils in Bridgend, Cardiff and Wrexham. And here in Swansea too.

It is under Liberal Democrat leadership that those councils have increased recycling rates, regenerated local areas and reconnected local people to their councils by ending the one-party mentality.

And don’t forget that it was by positioning ourselves as the driving force in the Government of Wales’ first term that over one hundred Liberal Democrat policies were put into action.

You know, it was proportional representation that made that possible.

Both the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament are elected by a proportional system. A system that encourages parties to work together more, and to work against each other less. A system that ensures that every vote counts. A system which is fair, democratic and inclusive.

So be in no doubt that my commitment to proportional representation – for every election – is absolute.

We made a real difference in Welsh government, and we can make a real difference now. The Liberal Democrats will fight this election in the interests of the Welsh people. Our policies offer a radical programme for government.

They provide an opportunity to use the Assembly’s new powers in Wales’ best interests. And they mirror our party’s successful approach to governing in Scotland.

There, we have been the driving force behind radical reform in government.

There, we are not only responsible for the headline achievements of the Scottish Executive’s first terms – the abolition of tuition fees, free personal care for the elderly, and proportional representation for local government – but we have also been behind the detailed policies which have made a real difference to Scots’ daily lives – investing in medical diagnostics, trebling recycling rates, and freeing up teachers so that they can spend more time helping children to learn.

Our successes in Scotland can be repeated in Wales. Because it’s the Welsh Liberal Democrats who are setting the policy agenda here.

It’s the Welsh Liberal Democrats who propose a health service that puts patients first, with a single pathway to local quality healthcare.

It’s the Welsh Liberal Democrats who propose creating a better environment in which young people can learn, with investment in school buildings, smaller class sizes, and a clamp-down on ill-discipline and bullying.

And it’s the Welsh Liberal Democrats who propose practical measures to put Wales at the forefront of the green revolution. Creating jobs in a cleaner and greener Wales.

No other party has a plan for Wales that is both as ambitious and achievable as ours. Because no other party shares our understanding of devolution in action. No other party shares our commitment to empowering local people to take the decisions that will benefit their lives.

Labour may have delivered a Welsh Assembly, but its first eight years have been marred by a lack of power.
It’s ironic that having accepted the case for a more powerful Assembly, Labour appears to have even fewer ideas for providing better government. Rhodri Morgan leads a party that has failed to deliver on its key promises for this term. And lacks any vision for the next. Labour suffers from a poverty of ambition.

By contrast the Welsh Liberal Democrats are ambitious for Wales, with a programme for a progressive government.

And who else can meet that challenge?

The Conservatives? Certainly not.

This is a party that fought against devolution, tooth and nail. The Tories do not embrace devolution, they merely tolerate it. They remain out of step with modern Welsh government. And out of touch with the Welsh people. I doubt the people of Wales are any more enthusiastic than the people of Scotland would be about a Conservative First Minister.

But what of Plaid Cymru?

They have changed their official colours from green to yellow, but we all know they would lead Wales straight into the red. Theirs is an unreliable party standing on an uncosted manifesto. But behind their extravagant promises lies a more fundamental problem for Plaid. They cannot be the party of Wales’ devolved future, because they do not believe in that future. They want a different constitutional settlement. And they choose their words carefully to describe it.

Plaid Cymru says it wants “to promote the constitutional advancement of Wales with a view to attaining Full National Status for Wales within the European Union.” Well I know what that means and it doesn’t require twenty one words to describe it: it requires just one – separatism. Be under no illusion – Plaid might not put independence at the top of its manifesto, but it is at the forefront of their minds.

They are playing fast and loose with the future of Wales.

For the nationalists the aim is not good government in Cardiff, but populism in pursuit of divorce from the rest of the UK.

It is no secret that I care passionately about international affairs.

Because it is in that area that I know a strong and united Britain can be a force for good. A Britain committed to the rule of law and the United Nations. The challenges facing the world today are more complex than at any time in our history. Terrorism. Conflict. Third world poverty and debt. And climate change.

These challenges can only be met by concerted international action and support for international institutions.

The United Kingdom has a proud record in its support for these values. Only recently has that record has been tarnished. The core values of democracy are the best foundations to underpin international affairs. The world needs countries that stand for these values.

That’s what I think of when I consider the Union between the United Kingdom’s four nations. And that is why I attach real worth to the United Kingdom.

Because standing together the countries that comprise the UK state can be a force for good on a scale that would be impossible if they were standing apart.

The end of Great Britain would not only spell uncertainty for Wales’ domestic future, it would weaken Wales’ voice for good in the world.

That is not to say that Britain’s constitutional arrangements should be set in stone. We welcomed the Richard Commission and the prospect of a more powerful Assembly. And we are open-minded about how devolution might be adapted further to meet the needs and aspirations of the Welsh people. Because we believe that government should be shaped around the priorities of those it serves, and devolution allows us to achieve that.

It is those values, coupled with our bold policies that have helped this party to grow stronger in Wales over recent years.

In the 2005 Westminster election we finished in second place.

Our incumbent MPs Roger Williams and Welsh Leader Lembit Opik were joined by two new members. Jenny Willott gained Cardiff Central from Labour. And Mark Williams took Ceredigion from Plaid Cymru.

All four have made valuable contributions to the increased strength and credibility of our Welsh Party. And I have every confidence that our successful candidates for the Welsh Assembly will only add to that success.

One of them, John Davies, has already spoken to you from this platform, and I have every confidence that he will have a well-deserved victory in Ceredigion this May. And he’s not the only candidate knocking at the door.

John Dixon in South Wales Central. Veronica Watkins in South Wales East. Jackie Radford in South Wales West. Tudor Jones and Bruce Roberts in the North.

In all parts of Wales we have candidates who can win, and make a real difference in the Assembly. This is a party on the move.

I know it, you know it, and our opponents know it too.

The Prime Minister went to Llandudno last month to talk about Labour’s “extraordinary” progress in Wales.

But he doth protest too much.

But he’s right in a way.

You know, given their record, if they do make any progress in Wales, it will be extraordinary. The reality is that Labour’s record here is one of missed opportunities. Poverty and well-being is a case in point.

How can it be fair that homelessness in Wales has risen sharply under Labour?

How can it be fair that in today’s Wales one in five pensioners lives in poverty?

And how can it be fair that in 21st century Britain one in every four Welsh children lives in poverty too?

Wales needs a government that will stop meddling in our health service, and set the experts free to raise the standard to world class.

A government that will give families the opportunity for decent housing. A government that will give our children the best start in life. A Liberal Democrat government for Wales.

And our party is ready to use tax policy at a federal level to show our commitment to fairness throughout the United Kingdom.

Under the Blair-Brown administration, the lowest earning fifth of households in this country still pays more of their income in tax than the richest fifth.

Is that Labour’s message for this election? That under Labour those who earn less should pay more? Is that what Labour means when they tell us that they are getting tough? Are they ready to take that message to the voters in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire Gwynedd and Powys, where low pay is prevalent?

Well let’s be clear – their way is not our way. Our principle is simple. Those who earn less should pay less.

And by increasing green taxes and abolishing generous tax subsidies that benefit the rich, we can afford to cut taxes for lower and middle income families.

Remember what that means. By abolishing the 10 pence starting rate; by cutting the basic rate from 22 pence to 20; and by raising the top rate threshold to £50,000, we will cut the national income tax bill of 1.4 million Welsh people. Almost two hundred thousand of the poorest Welsh tax payers will come out of national income tax altogether.

Don’t whisper it softly – shout it out loudly – Liberal Democrats would cut national income tax for those who need it most.

And shout just as loudly that Liberal Democrats can cut crime. That we can succeed where Labour and the Tories have failed.

Under Labour, there has been abject failure at the Home Office. The prison population is at record levels, and re-offending rates are the highest in Europe. This Labour government has given us twenty five new bills relating to criminal law since 1997. It has imposed on us some of the most authoritarian peacetime legislation this country has ever seen. More than 3000 new crimes have been put on the statute book. And yet the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour has not diminished one bit.

Wales deserves better than this.

To fight crime effectively, we don’t need to get tougher. We need to get smarter.

The Liberal Democrats recognise that challenge. And we are ready to meet it.

A liberal approach to crime is an honest approach to crime: it is based on what works rather than just what sounds good. Our approach, in Wales and the rest of Britain, targets the offender rather than the innocent.
And it has the courage to engage with the criminal and to reform their behaviour.

That philosophy underpins our plan for a five step campaign for a safer Wales.

First, we will use money ear-marked for an expensive, ineffective and unworkable identity card scheme to pay for more police officers instead.

Second, we will take back our town centres with a raft of strong measures that will help local authorities to clamp down on binge-drinking and other antisocial behaviour.

Third, we will have honesty in sentencing. Sentences will mean what they say, and automatic early release will be abolished.

Fourth, we will make offenders work to pay back their communities. Where appropriate, offenders should put right the wrongs that they have done. Community justice panels and restorative justice schemes can achieve exactly that.

And fifth, we will introduce an entirely new approach to compensating victims of crime – paid for by prison work.
It is only fair that money raised by prisoners in employment should go towards compensating their victims.

By making prisoners do real work for a real wage, we can also instil a sense of responsibility and enhance their skills. After all, prisoners who do not participate in education or training are three times more likely to go back to crime. Yet well over half of offenders receive no training at all. And only one in five prisoners exceeds the standards expected of an 11 year old in writing.

Instead, we will treble the number of prisoners working, and make education and training compulsory. Prisoners will pay for their crimes, while gaining the skills and experience needed to discourage them from further criminal behaviour.

And for those with serious mental health problems there will be increased provision of secure mental health services.

This is a package of positive measures that show that, together, we can cut crime. And that is our clear message going in to this May’s elections in Wales.

Tony Blair intends to step down from office this summer – so far as we know. But if his domestic legacy is one of under-performance, his foreign legacy is one of spectacular failure.

Britain’s foreign policy should be based on our long term interests. Britain should have an independent foreign policy based on British priorities. It should have an ethical dimension with the promotion of human rights as its centre piece.

That is what Labour called for in opposition. But in Government it has delivered something different.

The alignment of the Bush and Blair foreign policies has sometimes been so close that it has been difficult to distinguish one from the other. The war in Iraq is the prime example. Our opposition to that war has always been clear and firm. It was an illegal war based on a flawed prospectus. The failure to plan sufficiently for Iraq’s reconstruction has brought into focus the reality that this war was about regime change.

But what has the change of regime brought to Iraq? A state of near civil war. With more than 34,000 civilians killed there last year. And with a degraded infrastructure where public services like water, electricity and sewerage are worse than they were under Saddam Hussein.

We have been there for four years now. And Britain’s position is no longer sustainable. Britain’s most senior soldier, Sir Richard Dannatt, has said that our presence in Iraq exacerbates the security situation. A majority of Iraqis think that coalition forces are legitimate targets and an even greater majority think we should leave.

Meanwhile President Bush dismissed the advice of the Iraq Study Group. The British Prime Minister welcomed it before it was taken off the table by the President. Its sensible recommendations for a change in strategy, for regional engagement and dialogue with Syria and Iran were unpalatable to the administration.

The irony is that, having dismissed the report, the United States will now attend a security conference on Iraq, at which both Syria and Iran will be present.

Against that background we would need overwhelming justification to remain in Iraq. I do not believe that justification exists.

In truth it is time to go.

Of course we must continue to fulfil our obligations to the UN and the Iraqi people to assist reconstruction and regional engagement. But we can do that without a military presence.

What I have offered is a clear, structured and honourable framework for withdrawal from Iraq by the end of October this year. The British-American relationship needs to be renewed, reviewed and rebalanced. And sooner rather than later.

Because there are ominous signs that some in the United States might consider military action against Iran in response to its nuclear programme. The regime in Tehran is authoritarian, nationalist and oppressive. But in spite of its distasteful characteristics it has interests and influence that cannot be ignored.

Iran must be engaged rather than isolated if we are to stand a real chance of neutralising its nuclear programme. Already international engagement has led to a possible breakthrough in persuading North Korea to modify its nuclear programme. This is an illustration of what can be done.

Military action against Iran would buttress the regime, fan nationalism, further destabilise the region, put coalition forces at risk and disperse nuclear material. The case against it is overwhelming.

By serving out the longest period of notice in British political history the Prime Minister is creating friction within his Government and uncertainty in the country. He says that he is speeding up reform but his continued presence is holding it back. Will a change in Labour’s leadership benefit Wales? I very much doubt it.

Regardless of our opponents we know that ours is the party determined to address Wales’ needs. We have the ambition. We have the policies. And we have the people too.

Mike German has led this party in government. He’s a doughty fighter and an experienced campaigner – with a vision for a fairer, greener Wales.

With the experience of the AMs, and the passion and potential of our candidates, we have the ability to achieve even greater things for Wales.

So, the message is clear.

There is a great deal at stake on 3rd May, and there is a great opportunity for our party. We can win more votes, more seats and more influence in the Assembly than we have ever had before.

In doing so Mike and his team will have the chance to ensure that Wales’ future is a Liberal Democrat future.
Seize that chance.

more … ]]> Commenting on today’s Royal Society of Arts report on drug laws, which called Britain’s drugs laws as “not fit for purpose”, Ming Campbell said:

“This report is a wake up call. Our current policies are clearly not working. The drug problem is complex and not susceptible to simplistic solutions. We need a non-partisan debate about the way forward.”

You can get the RSA report from their website.

more … ]]> At the Liberal Democrat “We Can Cut Crime” rally, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell highlighted that over 51 million crimes have been reported in this country since Labour came to power.

Ming Campbell said:

Tony Blair’s legacy on law and order is one of tough talk, and spectacular failure.

Effective criminal justice should deter crime and reform the criminal. But the reality is that Labour has failed on both counts.

Shockingly, we live in a country where less than one in every hundred crimes committed leads to a court conviction. Just one in every hundred.

And just as bad, we live in a country where eight out of ten teenage boys reoffend within two years of release.

Ming Campbell went on to say:

The Government pursues headlines with more vigour than it pursues criminals. Three thousand new criminal offences, and twenty three criminal justice acts have sought to reassure the public and to discourage the criminal.

But no criminal has ever been stopped by a headline. And our crime rates show it.

Explaining the Liberal Democrat approach to crime Ming Campbell said:

A liberal approach to crime is an honest approach to crime. It is based on what works rather than just what sounds good. It targets the offender rather than the innocent. And it has the courage to engage with the criminal and try to reform behaviour.

The Liberal Democrats can cut crime.

Menzies Campbell concluded by pointing to the successes that Liberal Democrats have had in cutting crime locally he said:

“This rally is about all of you who have campaigned throughout Britain to ensure that there are real solutions to crime delivered locally.

“It is a tribute to those of you who have campaigned to remove the blight of crime from peoples’ lives.”

During the rally, the party launched a new website to chronicle the problems of the Home Office: www.homeofficewatch.com

more … ]]> Ming Campbell launched the Liberal Democrats ‘We can cut crime!’ campaign on January 22, 2007 as follows, and also launched the ‘We can cut crime‘ website:

Today I am launching a five step liberal campaign to cut crime in this country.

It is a radical approach, a practical approach and an effective approach.

And it has never been needed more than now.

Because – after ten years in office – Labour’s record on law and order is one of abysmal failure.

Tony Blair’s legacy on law and order is one of tough talk, and spectacular failure.

You know, I understand crime and I know what effective criminal justice is.

I spent nearly four years of my life prosecuting criminals in the courts.

My work there reinforced my conviction that a good justice system is one that seeks to engage, reform and, if necessary, punish.

It treats all citizens as equal before the law.

It seeks to deter as well as to reform criminal behaviour.

Shockingly, we live in a country where less than one in every hundred crimes committed leads to a court conviction.

Less than one in every hundred.

That means you are twice as likely to win a prize on a lottery ticket as you are to be convicted in court of a crime that you have committed.

And just as bad, we live in a country where eight out of ten teenage boys reoffend within two years of release.

These figures are a scandal.

They are symptomatic of a justice system that is ineffective in catching criminals and ineffectual in reforming their behaviour.

And there is plenty of crime to stop.

Violent crime has doubled under Tony Blair’s watch.

Street crime and mugging are rising rapidly towards a disturbing one hundred thousand incidents each year.

And Britain’s prison population has topped 80,000 for the first time in our history.

The fact is that people from deprived communities suffer most from these crimes.

They are most likely to be the victims.

Labour’s failure has hit hardest those who have least.

We now face a stark choice between philosophies.

On the one hand, we have Labour’s approach.

And on the other, we have the liberal alternative.

The government’s attitude is clear.

It gave up on the justice system years ago.

Fixed penalty notices. Cautions. Official warnings. ASBOs. And now serious crime prevention orders.

All of these prevent crimes ever reaching the court system where they often belong.

And as their use rises so does the number of crimes that do not lead to criminal convictions.

The government pursues headlines with more vigour than it pursues criminals.

Three thousand new criminal offences, and twenty three criminal justice acts have sought to reassure the public and discourage the criminal.

But no criminal has ever been stopped by a headline.

And our crime rates show it.

Yet if the government has proven unable to catch the guilty, it has proven only too willing to impugn the innocent.

A DNA database, identity cards, restrictions on free speech and assembly.

It seems that Labour would rather monitor the law-abiding than catch the offender.

And what do the Conservatives offer?

Nothing but empty rhetoric.

The party that traditionally favoured reactionary authoritarianism now has a leader who wants to hug a hoodie.

Look for practical policies to tackle crime and you will find that the Tories have nothing of substance to offer.

What Britain needs is effective action in the form of practical and pragmatic solutions.

To fight crime effectively, we don’t need to get tougher, we need to get smarter.

The Liberal Democrats recognise that challenge.

And we are ready to meet it.

A liberal approach to crime is an honest approach to crime:

It is based on what works rather than what sounds good.

It targets the offender rather than the innocent.

And it has the courage to engage with the criminal and reform their behaviour.

And where we have put that liberal approach into action, it has a record of success.

Our experience of local government clearly demonstrates that fact.

In Liverpool, a Liberal Democrat council has slashed domestic burglary by 24%.

And in Newcastle violent crime has fallen by 12%, after it doubled under Labour’s control.

What we have achieved at local level, we can achieve at national level too.

We can cut crime.

And we have the policies to do it.

From this collection of ideas we have drawn five proposals.

That’s five steps to a safer Britain.

Point one, we will put more police officers on the beat.

The government has ear-marked billions for their ID card scheme.

They will do little to tackle the reality of daily crime on Britain’s streets and estates.

But police officers can.

That is why we would redirect money for ID cards in order to expand our police service.

That is why Liberal Democrats say that we can cut crime.

Point two, we will take back our town centres.

It is unacceptable that members of the public fear crime on their streets.

It is not liberal to tolerate intimidation and disorder.

So we will empower members of the public to tackle this problem for themselves.

By amending the Licensing Act, we can make it easier for local communities and councillors to close pubs and clubs that create problems for local people.

That is why Liberal Democrats say that we can cut crime

Point three, we will have honesty in sentencing.

Under Labour, the average so-called life sentence is just eleven years.

And thousands of offenders spend less than half of their sentences in jail.

No wonder the public has little faith in sentencing.

Liberal Democrats believe that sentences should mean what they say.

Life will mean life: only those that judges believe should stay in prison forever will be given a life sentence.

And nobody will be released earlier than the minimum term that they are given.

We will also create Public Services Sentences.

These will punish non-violent criminals by giving them rigorous community work as an alternative to prison, which will be more productive and a more effective deterrent.

That is why Liberal Democrats say that we can cut crime

Point four, we will make prison work.

The current situation fails both the prisoner and society.

Prisoners who do not participate in education or training are three times more likely to go back to crime.

Yet well over half of offenders receive no training.

And only one in five of prisoners exceed the standards expected of an 11 year old in writing.

Instead, we will treble the number of prisoners working, and make education and training compulsory.

And for those with serious mental health problems there will be increased provision of secure mental health services.

We can foster skills amongst our prison population and create opportunities for those who would otherwise return to a life of crime.

That is why Liberal Democrats say that we can cut crime

Point five, we will introduce an entirely new approach to compensating victims of crime.

It will be fairer.

It will be simpler.

And it will be swifter.

It is only fair that money raised by prisoners in employment should go towards compensating their victims.

Prisoners shouldn’t sit in their cells for twenty three hours a day: they ought to be engaged in work that is productive and useful.

By making prisoners do real work for a real wage, we can also instil a sense of responsibility, enhance their skills and ensure that victims are properly compensated.

Prisoners will literally pay for their crimes, whilst gaining the skills and experiences needed to dissuade them from further offences.

That is why Liberal Democrats say that we can cut crime

These ideas show just how serious I am about law and order.

Our new ideas on cutting crime will be the centrepiece of our campaign in the run-up to May’s local elections.

And we will take that message to every corner of the country.