24Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Grant funds security devices for concerned residents

Grant funds security devices for concerned residents

Borough news
The Saddleworth West and Lees Crimewatch security group has been awarded a grant to fund the purchase of security devices to help residents in need in Lees, Springhead and Grotton. Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Alicia Marland said: “I set up the Crimewatch WhatsApp groups in Lees, Springhead and Grotton in January 2022 for neighbours to promote vigilance and increase awareness of criminal activities in each village and it has been a great success. However it became apparent that many residents were still feeling insecure and in need of more physical security devices for their homes and vehicles. Councillor Alicia Marland with residents Sue, Marlene and David, who have all received additional security help “Crimewatch Group Co-ordinator Linda Kemp suggested that there may be funding available through local grants that could…
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10May 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Public Order Bill: Government recycling discredited plans

Public Order Bill: Government recycling discredited plans

Parliamentary news
Following the Government announcement that they will try to revive some proposals that were rejected from the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill in a new 'Public Order Bill', Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: "These dangerous and draconian plans aren’t about stopping guerilla protestors - the police already have the powers to stop them. Instead, this is yet another desperate attempt to distract from a failing Government that is running out of steam. "Last week, millions of people across the country sent a signal to the Conservatives that they were fed up with being taken for granted. Yet now we see they have nothing new to offer. "So rather than wasting time recycling discredited plans, which have already been rejected by Parliament, Ministers should be taking…
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03May 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Vehicle crime epidemic: 140,000 car and bike thefts unsolved last year

Vehicle crime epidemic: 140,000 car and bike thefts unsolved last year

Campaigns
New figures reveal 77,300 car thefts and 63,500 bike thefts went unsolved last yearOnly 3.9% of car thefts lead to someone being charged, down from 6.8% five years agoConservatives accused of allowing criminals to steal vehicles on “an industrial scale” Shocking new figures have revealed a “vehicle crime epidemic,” with over 140,000 car and bike thefts going unsolved by police last year. More than three quarters of car theft cases (77,318) and nine in ten bike thefts (63,481) were closed without a suspect being identified. The Liberal Democrats said the figures showed the Conservatives were soft on crime and are letting criminals get away with stealing vehicles on an “industrial scale.” The party is calling for more investment in community policing, ahead of the local elections on Thursday. The figures…
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02May 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
New stats show 1.8 million crimes went unsolved in 2021

New stats show 1.8 million crimes went unsolved in 2021

Parliamentary news
Four in ten crimes went unsolved by the police in 2021, new official figures show, with an average of 5,000 unsolved crimes every day. New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that overall crime was 18% higher in 2021 compared with 2019, driven by a 54% increase in fraud and computer misuse. Liberal Democrat analysis of new Home Office figures show that 1.8 million cases were closed by the police in 2021 without a suspect even being identified – 39% of all cases closed. Responding to the statistics, Liberal Democrats Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “Crime is soaring on the Conservatives’ watch. They are failing our communities, making people less safe, and letting far too many criminals get away with it. “Boris Johnson and Priti Patel…
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10Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM must correct record on fraud figures and apologise to four million victims

PM must correct record on fraud figures and apologise to four million victims

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has challenged Boris Johnson to correct the record after misleadingly claiming crime has fallen, and apologise to the four million victims of fraud he has written out of the picture. The UK Statistics Authority last week officially rebuked Boris Johnson and Priti Patel for misleadingly claiming that crime had fallen, following a letter of complaint by Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng then claimed this weekend that fraud isn’t something people experience in their day-to-day lives. Analysis by the Liberal Democrats show there were 100,393 fraud offences referred to the police in London last year, 8,957 fraud offences in Surrey which is home to Kwasi Kwarteng’s constituency of Spelthorne, and 11,829 fraud offences in Essex which includes Priti Patel’s seat…
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07Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Kwasi Kwarteng repeats Boris Johnson’s misleading claim that crime is falling

Kwasi Kwarteng repeats Boris Johnson’s misleading claim that crime is falling

Parliamentary news
Kwasi Kwarteng has this morning repeated dishonest comments made by Boris Johnson claiming crime has fallen in the UK, when it has actually increased by 14%, on BBC's Sunday Morning Show. He said that the Prime Minister was right to say that crime has gone down, because "on the doorstep people are saying progress is being made." The Liberal Democrats accused the Business Secretary of having "doubled down on a blatant lie." The UK Statistics Authority last week officially rebuked Boris Johnson and Priti Patel for misleadingly claiming that crime had fallen, following a letter of complaint by Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael. The misleading figures excluded fraud and computer stats which have soared by 47%, leading to an overall 14% rise in crime. The Liberal Democrats have…
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07Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats say residents will be safer, greener, and cleaner in their budget proposals

Liberal Democrats say residents will be safer, greener, and cleaner in their budget proposals

Borough news, environment, housing and development, road safety
Safer, greener, and cleaner, these are the watch words when the Liberal Democrats present their budget amendment proposals to the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 8th February (6pm). Shaw Councillor Chris Gloster, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Green, is looking forward to presenting the budget amendment to the committee and believes that the Liberal Democrats have come up with sensible adjustments to the budget that will have no impact on council finances but deliver maximum impact to residents whose valuable input as to what residents want to see is at the heart of the proposals. “The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to make further efficiencies in civic centre bureaucracy to squeeze out more money for our priorities, and those of the public – more cash to spend on…
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04Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Johnson and Patel misled on crime stats, official watchdog rules

Johnson and Patel misled on crime stats, official watchdog rules

Parliamentary news
The Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir David Norgrove, has ruled that Boris Johnson and Priti Patel "misrepresented" crime statistics and presented them in a "misleading way". It comes after Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael reported the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary to the watchdog for falsely claiming that crime had fallen by 14% between September 2019 and September 2021, when the exact opposite had happened. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael MP, said: “This is a damning verdict from the official watchdog. Yet more distortions from Boris Johnson and his Cabinet to play down the extent of crime. “When the Government’s record on crime is so bad that both the Prime Minister and Home Secretary feel the need to fiddle the figures, it is clear we…
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02Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems report Johnson & Patel over false crime stat claims

Lib Dems report Johnson & Patel over false crime stat claims

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have reported both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary to the statistics watchdog for falsely claiming a reduction in overall crime levels. Alistair Carmichael, the party’s Home Affairs Spokesperson, has written to Sir David Norgrove, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, about comments made by Boris Johnson in the House of Commons yesterday and by Priti Patel in a Home Office press release last week. During his statement on the Sue Gray investigation, Johnson claimed “we have been cutting crime by 14%”. In a press release on Thursday, Patel said “This Government continues to cut crime through our Beating Crime Plan”. Both claims are directly contradicted by the latest official crime figures, published by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday. They show “a 14% increase…
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28Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Crime stats: Government failing survivors of sexual violence

Crime stats: Government failing survivors of sexual violence

Parliamentary news
Responding to today's quarterly crime stats, which show that sexual offences are at their highest level recorded within a 12 month period and rape offences are at their highest annual number on record, Liberal Democrat Justice and Women & Equalities Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “These appalling figures lay bare the disturbing truth that violence against women is endemic in our society. “Survivors deserve justice. They deserve to be properly supported to come forward and be listened to when they do. What they don’t deserve is to be failed by a Government that sits on its hands and allows far too many violent predators to walk free without facing the consequence of their actions. “Wholesale changes are needed across the board to ensure survivors get the justice they need. That…
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