Camerons’ Con Dems have seized the opportunity offered by the horrific and tragic riots in our major cities, to continue on one of their favourite themes – demonising Council tenants.

Backed by their spineless Lib Dem stooges the Tories have already embarked on a programme of housing benefit cuts, huge rent rises and reducing security of tenure.

Now as the aftermath of the last weeks horrors hits our most vulnerable communities, they are trying to evict families where one of the children is convicted of a crime during the riots. Yes we know we all want criminals to be punished for their crimes and issues of responsibility are important here. So whilst nobody disagrees that rioters should face the full force of the law, how can it be reasonable to convict an entire family for the crimes of one of their children.

As we all know bankers have not had to bear responsibility for any of their own actions, whilst it seems Council Tenants must take full responsibility for their childrens.

Solutions to the problems in our major cities will go way beyond the cheap "Daily Mail" slogans and kneejerk reactions of the Con Dems. Are we reduced to American Fox style, TeaParty highlighting of issues?

As well as restoring police cuts, as Ed Miliband rightly says we need to look at the reason why so many of our young people feel that this increasingly unequal society offers them no opportunity outside of criminality and exclusion.

The Labour Party under Ed Miliband is prepared to look deep for solutions including examining our own record in power, for all the hope our Con-Dem Cabinet of millionaires can offer they may have well as stayed on their expensive holidays.

30,000 Police Jobs to be lost under Tory-led Government’s 20 per cent police cuts

The Labour Party is today (Monday 11 April) launching an interactive web-map showing how the Tory-led Government’s cuts are affecting police forces across the country.

The map displays updated research showing that over 30,000 police jobs will be lost; including over 12,500 police officers and more than 16,500 police staff and can be found at www.StopPoliceCuts.co.uk

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said:

“StopPoliceCuts.co.uk shows the damaging effects of the Tory-led Government’s 20 per cent cuts to policing.

“Across the country over 12,500 police officers and thousands more support staff are being lost and it is local communities that will pay the price.

“The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary claim these cuts won’t affect the frontline. But they are completely out of touch. Neighbourhood policing, CID, domestic violence units, fraud, burglary and murder squads are all being affected already. Many forces are losing some of their most skilled and experienced crime fighters.

“Chief Constables are being put in an impossible position. They are rightly doing everything they can to deliver effective policing but the Government is pulling the rug out from underneath them with the scale and pace of these cuts.

“The police can make efficiency savings, but their budget is being cut too far and too fast. And the steepest cuts are in the first few years so police forces don’t have time to plan and deliver sustainable change. Instead the frontline is being hit.

“The Tory-led Government is taking too many risks with the fight against crime. The Home Secretary urgently needs change course, before it is too late.”

See Labour’s police map here >>

Sussex Police have announced that 1,050 jobs will be lost due to the Con/Lib coalition’s decision to slash their local budget.

Paul McKeever, Chair of the Police Federation, said: “Crime is at the lowest level it has ever been in the last 30 years, I think it would be a dreadful shame if we threw that away now.”

“One of your first duties as a government is to protect the citizens that you serve. If you fail in that, then perhaps you’re unfit to govern.”

Community Officers’ Jobs Frozen

The local force has already suspended recruitment of popular Community Support Officers, with 116 potential recruits already being informed that their applications have been withdrawn because of the cuts.

Sussex Chief Constable Martin Richards said that the recruits would be “incredibly disappointed” and that “I hope they understand this situation is not of our making”

Cuts Only Benefiting Criminals

Ed Miliband MP, the Labour Party’s leader hit out at the Tory Lib-dem Coalition’s priorities.

“Rather than sacking police officers the coalition should increase the levy on the banks to protect vital services that people rely on. This isn’t about tackling waste and inefficiency – it’s a cut that will only benefit criminals.”

Less Time on the Beat

Under Labour, the party gave a commitment to protect frontline police services, while the Tory Lib-dem Coalition has chosen to cut police numbers.

In their first few weeks the Tory Lib-dems also dropped a national commitment to keep neighbourhood police officers on the beat for at least 80% of their time

With Tory Lib-dem policy hitting people hard and statistics showing crime increasing during a recession, where does this leave us….less police on the beat, a reduced police service and the public put further at risk.

See the stop the police cuts map here>>