Policing Plans

Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne launched our manifesto plans for policing today. We have pledged to put 3000 more police on the beat by scrapping the ID Cards scheme and using the money to put more officers on the beat. It would have been 10000 if Labour had not already wasted so much money setting up the now laughable "voluntary" ID Card Scheme! Amazingly, 18 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales have seen a reduction of police numbers since 2005. Two thirds of them are run by the Conservatives, and a third by Labour. Whilst both of them try to out tough each other on crime, the reality is they have both failed to support our police force. In Surrey, no local Tory MP bothered to vote on the capping of the police budget. Lib Dem MP's in South West London like Vince Cable did, and voted not to cap the authority. Actions speak louder than words, however tough the rhetoric!

David Wilshire Resigns

As this story broke on Wednesday evening, the phone and email went into overdrive. The allegations made against Mr Wilshire by the Telegraph were out of the blue and quite extraordinary. As it became clear on Thursday that this really was serious for him, the press requests started. It is difficult when these things are allegations, but with them being potentially damaging, it seemed inevitable that he had to resign, as I told Radio Surrey on Friday morning. He is duly standing down at the next election, although some might ask why he should hang on for his golden handshake at the end of his term. Dr Ian Gibson didn't do so in Norwich North, and went straight away. What surprises me so much, however, are comments attributed to Mr Wilshire about being on a salary that was "dangerously close to the minimum wage" (as quoted in several newspapers over the weekend). Mr Wilshire had already shown a lack of contrition when other expenses claims were questioned earlier in the year. It is clear that he and his colleagues locally still maintain the Tory arrogance that they have a divine right to be elected. That is quite simply outrageous. The electors of Spelthorne are entitled to ask what their elected representatives do for them. The last of Mr Wilshire's infrequent contributions to Parliament before his announcement he was standing down at the next election was to sponsor a Bill that would have removed the minimum wage. How ironic.