01Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Cutting speeds through community action

Cutting speeds through community action

Borough news, road safety
Making the roads safer in Oldham is one of the highest priorities for people who live in Oldham and Saddleworth says Liberal Democrat Councillor for Grotton, Springhead and Lees, Mark Kenyon. He has campaigned over the last year to introduce a community speedwatch scheme in the borough and has just got the go-ahead that the scheme will finally be piloted by Greater Manchester Police. The scheme will be run by the Police but operated by community volunteers. The aim is to make motorists who speed through neighbourhoods aware of the impact of their actions on local people, or the danger they pose to other road users and pedestrians. A team of local residents who are willing to volunteer a small amount of time each week are trained and issued with…
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22Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Millions lost on failed PoliceWorks system – who will pay?

Millions lost on failed PoliceWorks system – who will pay?

Borough news
Responding to the news that the PoliceWorks system – the failed part of GMPs iOPS computer system costing millions of pounds – will be scrapped, Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani called for those responsible to be held accountable. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “We have waited years for GMP and the police and crime commissioner to finally step up and acknowledge this massive failure. Now they have accepted it, who is going to carry the can? “We have just seen a substantial increase in the Mayoral precept for every Council Tax payer in Greater Manchester. Is that money going straight from everyone’s pockets to cover this catastrophic investment in a failed IT system?” Councillor Al-Hamdani, who has raised the iOPS system at the last two Oldham Council meetings after repeated failures to…
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22Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Met police needs new leadership not stitch up by Johnson and Patel

Met police needs new leadership not stitch up by Johnson and Patel

Parliamentary news
Responding to the report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into corruption in the Met Police and the case of Daniel Morgan, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “This shocking report lays bare the ingrained culture of corruption and cover-up at the top of the Met. Police officers put themselves at risk every day to keep us safe, but they are being let down by poor leadership. The Met urgently needs strong new leadership. Choosing the new Commissioner is too important to be a stitch up between Priti Patel and Boris Johnson – especially when Johnson is under criminal investigation by the Met himself. “The next Commissioner must be someone who will shake things up and stand up to government ministers – and that’s…
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01Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
We’ll keep fighting to stop Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws

We’ll keep fighting to stop Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws

Parliamentary news
Responding to the votes on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill today, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “The Conservatives have struck another blow against our fundamental democratic rights, but the fight isn’t over. “Priti Patel’s Protest Crackdown Laws are dangerous and draconian. They are part of the Conservative Government’s attempts to silence any opposition to its policies. “Liberal Democrats will keep fighting to stop these anti-democratic laws when the Bill returns to the House of Lords.” Human rights campaigners at Liberty called the protest laws in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill "Heavy-handed crackdowns on protest [which] grind democracy to a halt and violate our fundamental human rights." Read their full analysis here.
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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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28Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Failure to publish Sue Gray report in full would be an “insult to the bereaved”

Failure to publish Sue Gray report in full would be an “insult to the bereaved”

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has written to Boris Johnson demanding he publish the Sue Gray report in full, alongside any accompanying evidence such as photos, emails and messages. The letter warns that any attempt to use the Met Police as an excuse to “whitewash” the report will only cause more public anger, including among tens of thousands of bereaved families furious with Boris Johnson for holding rule-breaking parties in Number 10. The letter states that nothing should be left out or redacted from the report unless that has been specifically requested by the police. The Liberal Democrats also highlight how government ministers have referred to the Sue Gray report over 130 times in Parliament in recent weeks, including 22 times by Boris Johnson himself. The letter adds that government…
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26Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Johnson breaking police pledge as officer numbers fall

Johnson breaking police pledge as officer numbers fall

Parliamentary news
The Conservative Government is off track on its manifesto pledge to recruit 20,000 more police officers by March 2023, with new official figures showing the number of officers actually fell by 413 in December. A total of 11,048 extra officers have been recruited under the Government’s uplift in the 29 months since it started in September 2019 – a rate of 381 more officers per month. To meet the target of 20,000 by March 2023, that rate would have to increase to 597 per month over the next 15 months. Four police forces now have fewer officers than they did a year ago, according to the Home Office figures: Thames Valley (down 29), Gloucestershire (down 22), Warwickshire (down 12) and City of London (down 8). Responding to the figures, Liberal…
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25Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Ed Davey: Met Police must interview Boris Johnson under caution

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has welcomed the confirmation from Commissioner Cressida Dick that the Met Police is now investigating parties held in Downing Street and Whitehall in breach of Covid rules, calling it the “first step towards justice for millions across the country.” It comes after Ed Davey wrote to Cressida Dick two weeks ago calling for a full investigation into the gatherings held in Number 10. The Liberal Democrats say Boris Johnson should be interviewed under caution, and given Fixed Penalty Notices for every time he is found to have breached Covid laws. Over 17,700 people have been fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaching Covid laws during the pandemic, including 113 fines for holding a gathering of over 30 people. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “This…
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19Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
GMP miss decision deadline on failing IT system

GMP miss decision deadline on failing IT system

Borough news
A decision on the failing multi-million pound iOPS system has still not taken, despite Manchester’s chief constable saying that one was due to be made in December. The computer system, which has cost over £29 million to implement – although the exact figure may never be known – still has major flaws, particularly in the “Police Works” system, which is used to track investigations. Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who was landed with the unenviable task of managing the problems when he took over in 2021, organised an ‘Options Review’ of the system earlier this year, and had stated that a decision would be taken in December. Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “This whole thing has been shambolic. Delay after delay, review after review, problem after problem. “We keep…
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18Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Policing Bill: Crushing defeats a huge victory for people’s rights

Policing Bill: Crushing defeats a huge victory for people’s rights

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat peers worked across the political divide tonight to defeat a number of controversial Conservative Government amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. The Government had attempted to forcibly rush through anti-protest measures without the appropriate time afforded for the House of Lords to scrutinise them - and without any consideration by the House of Commons at all. But nearly 70 Liberal Democrat Lords voted into the early hours of Tuesday the 18th to ensure the provisions were roundly defeated. Such provisions included a potential 51 week prison sentence for chaining (attachment to objects) and a proposed new offence for obstructing major transport works. Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs in the House of Lords, Brian Paddick, said: “This is a huge victory for people’s rights and…
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