16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Councillor fears a flagship Oldham park will end up off-limits

Councillor fears a flagship Oldham park will end up off-limits

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Crompton Dave Murphy and Shadow Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods has written to the Deputy Chief Executive of Oldham Council demanding that action be taken to curb the issues happening in Alexandra Park. Councillor Murphy said: “I have raised issues at Alexandra Park at my regular Shadow Cabinet meetings on several occasions. The park features too much in reports for my liking with incidents reported on a regular basis by the Police and our own Council staff. Alexandra Park is our flagship park and a park to be proud of and I grow increasing concerned that it will become off-limits for families scared to use its facilities. Councillor Dave Murphy Cllr Murphy added: “I have recently seen a report with three disturbing incidents in additions to ones…
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
“Unacceptable” that Daniel Morgan report held back

“Unacceptable” that Daniel Morgan report held back

Parliamentary news
Following Baroness O'Loan's comments that the Home Secretary Priti Patel interfered with the publication date of the Daniel Morgan report, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It is totally unacceptable for the Home Secretary to have held up the publication of this crucial report for four weeks. “For no good reason, Priti Patel has extended the agonising wait for Daniel Morgan’s family and all those interested in uncovering the truth about his murder. “The Government must guarantee that in future any independent reports like this will be completely free of political interference and not suppressed or delayed by Government Ministers.”
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31May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Sykes seeks immediate publication of damning police report

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to Andy Burnham asking the Mayor of Greater Manchester to immediately publish a long-awaited report into the management and performance of Greater Manchester Police. Mayor Burnham delayed publishing the report before his mayoral re-election, claiming that it would be inappropriate to do so before the new Police chief was in post. Chief Constable Stephen Watson QPM has now been sworn in, and councillor Sykes wants the Mayor to keep his promise. “Now the new Chief Constable is in post, there really is no longer an excuse to delay the publication of this report,” said councillor Sykes. “From what I have heard the report is damning, with serious criticisms about the culture, management and performance of Greater Manchester Police that go…
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11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Greater Manchester Police fail to supply data on unsolved crimes

Borough news
In addition to the staggering 80,000 unrecorded crimes, Greater Manchester Police have failed to report figures on unsolved crimes to the Home Office since July 2019. Nearly a million crimes have gone unsolved across the country in the last five years – that 80,000 unrecorded crimes alone would take the figure well past a million. Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “We have just seen Andy Burnham returned as Greater Manchester Mayor, taking on the role of Police and Crime Commissioner, despite the police being placed into special measures on his watch. “If we do not see a complete change in what is happening in Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham should not see out his term. It is residents across our Borough who are suffering as a consequence of these…
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30Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
New Police Chief appointment no excuse to delay publication of report

New Police Chief appointment no excuse to delay publication of report

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrats are dismayed that the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Police and Crime Commissioner is not immediately publishing a damning report into Police management and performance. Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has previously raised his concerns in letters and meetings with Mayor Andy Burnham. Commenting councillor Sykes said: “Regrettably Mayor Burnham’s tenure as Police and Crime Commissioner has not been a happy one. Greater Manchester Police has under his woeful watch allowed over 80,000 crimes to go unrecorded in a single year, seen the departure of a Chief Constable under a cloud, and spent a fortune on a new iOPs Police computer system which still doesn’t work properly and at one point was functioning so poorly that officers had to go back to using…
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23Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems warn against return to ‘damaging’ Whitehall police targets

Lib Dems warn against return to ‘damaging’ Whitehall police targets

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on Priti Patel not to impose centralised crime targets on local police forces, warning it “would be a grave mistake” that “risks seriously undermining” police officers. In a letter to the Home Secretary, the party’s Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael and 27 candidates for Mayor or Police and Crime Commissioner write that “the police need to be responsive and accountable to their local communities, not micromanaged by Ministers in Whitehall.” The Liberal Democrats argue that the Government should instead be focusing on “ensuring that police forces can restore proper community policing, where officers are more visible, trusted and known personally to local people.” Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It seems Priti Patel is the latest Home Secretary who thinks she can…
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16Apr 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Restore community policing to end scandal of 1.8m unsolved crimes

Restore community policing to end scandal of 1.8m unsolved crimes

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats will launch their national Police and Crime Commissioner campaign in Stockport by calling on the Government to restore community policing. New analysis by the party reveals more than 1.8 million crimes reported to the police last year closed without a suspect being identified. Separate figures show that half of all people say they never see police patrols in their local area. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey MP, will today call for a return to proper community policing: “Everyone has the right to feel safe where they live and know those who commit crimes will be punished. But this Conservative Government is leaving our communities vulnerable and letting criminals get away with it. “Instead of letting police officers get on with their jobs, Tory Ministers want…
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17Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Police Bill is dangerous and draconian

Police Bill is dangerous and draconian

Parliamentary news
Reacting to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill passing the Second Reading in Parliament, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “These new Conservative laws to crackdown on protests are dangerous and draconian. “The right to peaceful assembly and protest is a fundamental human right. It has always been a crucial part of our democratic society. “The weekend’s appalling events at the Clapham Vigil show why this Bill must be stopped in its tracks. They should force Priti Patel to think again. “These new laws are part of the Conservative Government’s anti-democratic attempts to silence any opposition to its policies. Liberal Democrats, will fiercely fight them at every step of the way.”
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15Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Vigil: Patel & Khan must also be held to account

Vigil: Patel & Khan must also be held to account

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has written to the Home Secretary Priti Patel and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to ask them about their involvement in the policing of the Clapham vigil. The letters state that the tactics seen yesterday at the Clapham vigil were 'disgraceful and disproportionate' and it urges both politcal leaders to join the call for Cressida Dick to resign. The letter, co-signed by Mayor of London candidate Luisa Porritt, goes on to ask each of them to ‘clarify what conversations’ they had with the Metropolitan Police about the event. Mayoral candidate Luisa Porritt It suggests that ‘responsibility’ for the night’s events also rests with the respective political leaders and that the public expects each of them ‘to be held to account’ as well.
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14Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Davey: Minister should not wait for Commissioner report

Davey: Minister should not wait for Commissioner report

Parliamentary news
Responding to Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins’ comments on the Marr show this morning, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “People want Ministers to act decisively, not play for time waiting for reports. It’s already crystal clear that what happened last night was a complete tactical and moral failure by the Met police. “Cressida Dick has lost the confidence of women in London and she must now resign. The horrific murder of Sarah Everard has left millions of women angry and in grief. They deserved the opportunity to collectively grieve in a peaceful open air vigil. “Yet from start to finish the Met Police got this wrong. They refused to cooperate with organisers trying to put on a Covid-safe event. Then used inappropriate and disproportionate force against women standing peacefully…
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