Coalition cuts are making our streets less safe

Coalition cuts are making our streets less safe

A properly funded police force is vital to keeping our streets safe but the Government is taking the wrong approach to law and order. Instead of cutting of crime, they are cutting the police. There are already 4,000 fewer police officers on our streets than there were in 2010 and half of London's police stations are set to close by by 2016. Many of these cuts will be counter productive, leading to more crime and higher costs for the police.

Cutting the number of police on our streets is not the only damage that the Government is doing, they have also taken money away from community projects. As a former community worker myself I know the importance giving young people a place to go and something to do can be, in preventing them from falling in with the wrong crowd.

When I was head of the Halkevi community centre I worked to establish sporting and youth projects projects for teenagers, keeping them out of criminal gangs and helping them to stay in school. Cuts to the Communities and Local Government budgets mean that councils don't have the funding to support projects like these anymore, meaning vulnerable young people are at risk.

Meeting with Shadow Secretary of State, Caroline Flint

Meeting with Shadow Secretary of State, Caroline Flint

Earlier this year I met with Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Caroline Flint MP to discuss rising energy bills.

The average household duel fuel bill now costs £1,400, up more than £300 since the last election and many people are struggling to meet the cost of keeping their home warm in winter. Many of the big energy companies are making huge profits, while at the same time raising prices for their customers. Yet despite this injustice the current government has done nothing to stand up to them and to fight for hard pressed consumers.  

I spoke to Caroline about my fears for all those struggling to cope with the rising cost of living in Enfield Southgate and my disappointment at the lack of action from the Tory-led coalition. She shared my concerns and she told me that the next Labour government would act to secure fairer energy bills for the public.

She told me that if elected the Labour would get tough with the big energy companies, by creating a new watchdog with the power to force them to pass on price cuts to their customers. We would also require energy companies to put all their customers aged over 75 onto the cheapest tariff, which could save as many as four million pensioners up to £200 a year from their annual energy bills. 

You can find out more about Labour's plans for a fairer energy market and how you can get involved with the party's policy review at the Your Britain website.