PCSOs COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE BEAT UNDER THE TORIES

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has deplored the announcement by the Tories that they plan to scrap Police Community Support Officers.

The Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling recently announced that they plan to remove PCSOs from the beat if they win the next general Election.

David Williams said, “In Crewe and Nantwich the PCSOs play an important role in our community. They provide a visible link between the public and the police and carry out much of the neighbourhood liaison work that has a real effect in preventing crime and releasing Police Officers to concentrate on crime detection. PCSOs are an important element in Cheshire’s Neighbourhood Policing Policy and to scrap them would destroy the good work done by them over the last few years.”

Cheshire Constabulary says on their web site, “Police Community Support Officers are a valuable addition to the police family and Cheshire Police are keen to build on the success of existing PCSOs who are already making a real difference to local communities. Cheshire Police currently has over 200 PCSOs in Force who work as an integral part of the 18 Neighbourhood Policing Units. Their role is non-confrontational and they provide a reassuring uniform presence in local communities.”

David Williams commented, “Crime in Cheshire has fallen by 7% and in Crewe and Nantwich the PCSOs have played a very important role in working with local residents to prevent crime and to improve the neighbourhoods themselves. They are seen as a valuable link between the residents and the Police Force, working in partnership with residents, Neighbourhood Forums and other agencies. Locally there are PCSOs who have won awards for the work that they have done and I fully support them in their efforts to improve our local neighbourhoods.”

David Williams presents cheque to ‘Bonus Ball’ winner

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, presented a cheque for £100 to Aldin Francis at a local Labour Party meeting tonight.

At a meeting of the Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party, held at The Crewe Arms hotel last Thursday, David Williams presented a cheque to Aldin Francis who is the latest winner of the Labour Party ‘Bonus Ball’ scheme.

David said, “I am very often called on to speak at meetings and every so often I have the pleasure of being able to present a cheque. Tonight is one of those nights and I am very pleased to be able to present this cheque for £100 to Aldin Francis on behalf of the Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party.

Peter Kent, the local Labour Party Treasurer commented, “The ‘Bonus Ball’ scheme raises funds for the local party on a regular basis and provides a nice cheque for someone each month. Members of the scheme pay £5 a month and I am always pleased to enrol new members into the scheme.”

David Williams deplores Tory chief’s abuse of railway workers

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has deplored the news that David Cameron’s Directory of Strategy abused railway workers.

Channel 4 News reported recently that Steve Hilton, one of David Cameron’s top advisers, was arrested over a train ticket dispute. Conservative Central Office confirmed that the Tory Leader’s Director of Strategy was fined £80 for disorder in October 2008. It is understood that Hilton was dashing to get the train back to London at the end of the party’s conference in Birmingham. He was asked to show his ticket, failed to produce it quickly and then got into a dispute with train staff. The police were called and he started to swear at the railway staff, He was promptly arrested and taken to a police station at Birmingham New Street. Once he had calmed down, he was issued with a penalty notice for disorder under Section 5 of the Public Disorder Act.

David Williams said, “I have a long history of campaigning for action to tackle violence, threats and abuse against workers. I am currently working with the Rail Unions for an additional penalty against those who assault workers in the course of their duties. Whilst on this occasion there was no physical violence, verbal abuse is extremely hurtful and distressing.”

David added, “I have spoken to workers who tell me that insults and swearing are all too common and that they dread the next customer who is going to give them a mouthful. I firmly believe that no worker should regard abuse as being part of the job. I call on all passengers to remember that rail workers are real people, doing the job they are paid to do and that they deserve our respect.”

David Williams welcomes new protection for agency workers

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has welcomed the new regulations with give protection to Agency Workers from exploitation.

The Government has this week laid regulations in the House of Commons that, for the first time, will entitle agency workers to equal treatment on basic working an employment conditions, including pay and holidays, as if they had been recruited directly by the employer.

David Williams said, “This is a big step forward in ensuring fairness in the workplace, and it is something that I have campaigned for over many years. This is not just about protecting agency workers, as important as that it, The new regulations also protect permanently employed staff from being undercut by rogue employers.”

The new rules will come into force in October of next year.

David added, “In Crewe and Nantwich we have seen at first hand where local permanently employed staff have seen jobs disappear to agency working, often migrant labour on worse terms and conditions of employment. That exploitation is as wrong for migrant workers as it is for local workers and I am pleased that the Government is acting to make the situation fairer to all.”

Equal treatment means things such as pay, holidays, overtime, rest breaks and access to vacancies and facilities such as workplace crèches etc. The Government is introducing the new regulations with the agreement of Trades Unions and employers, but the Tory Party remains opposed to them.

David Williams commented, “I am by no means opposed to the employment of agency workers, indeed my wife is an Agency Supply Teacher,. I fully support the flexibility that offers to employers and employees alike. There is nothing wrong with companies and organisations using agency labour to meet peaks in demand, but when they do, they must act fairly with the workers and not exploit them.”

David concluded by saying, “Should the Tories win power at the next election, they are committed to scrapping this and other important employment rights. I was shocked to hear that the current MP for Crewe and Nantwich is opposed to these important new workplace rights. I can only assume that he either does not understand that there are workers in Crewe and Nantwich, and indeed across the country, that are being exploited by rogue traders, or that he is happy to see local workers undercut and local jobs disappear."

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Veterans Minister visits Nantwich

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, hosted a meeting today with Veterans Minister, Kevan Jones MP, and local representatives of Veterans and the Services organisations.

Early in December last year, David Williams was invited by the Nantwich branch of the Royal British Legion to address their meeting at the Conservative Club on Churchyardside in Nantwich, when he signed up to their ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign.

David said, “The Nantwich branch of the Royal British Legion made me very welcome and we had a very useful and fruitful discussion. The branch raised a few issues that I promised to take back and discuss with the appropriate Government Minister. As a result of that I thought it would be more helpful if I invited Kevan Jones MP, who is the Minister for Veterans, to come to Crewe and Nantwich and meet with representatives of The Royal British Legion and other organisations representing Veterans and members of the Armed Services so that he could hear their views at first hand.”

Kevan Jones MP said, “I was delighted to accept the invitation from David Williams to visit Crewe and Nantwich and listen directly to the concerns and views of local veterans. I have listened and will take those view back. Local veterans and serving soldiers and their families can be confident that they have a strong voice in David Williams and he will represent their views and concerns directly to me.”

The Minister added, “Labour regards the health and welfare of veterans and serving personnel very seriously. We are the first Government to have a Veterans Minister. People who have served our country deserve special recognition and, for me, that means special treatment. My job in Government is to make sure that our veterans are well looked after and I work closely with first rate organisations such as the Royal British Legion, SSAFA and Help for Heroes.”

Present at the meeting were representatives from the Royal British Legion, SSAFA, The Mercian Regiment, The Air Training Corp, The TA and various individual veterans.

David Williams said, “The Royal British Legion do great work for our Armed Services Family – our serving personnel, veterans and their families. I fully support the Legion’s ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign and I signed up to support that campaign last year. I was therefore delighted to welcome the Minister to Crewe and Nantwich in order to give local Veteran and Armed Services organisations the chance to have their say and hear about the Governments plans for the future.”

He added, “I share the concern expressed at the meeting about extremist protests in Wootton Bassett. We should have nothing but admiration for what that town does to recognise those brave people who have lost their lives and it is wrong for anyone to try to hijack their efforts for their own political gain. I was delighted that the Minister confirmed that the Government had stopped the planned protest. These extremist groups do not represent the vast majority of British Muslims who contribute a great deal to the armed forces and have done so for many decades.”

David concluded by saying, “I felt that we had a very productive and interesting discussion and I look forward to working closely with the Legion and others in future.”

Pictured: Kevan Jones MP, Minister for Veterans, with David Williams and the veterans who attended today's meeting.

David Williams welcomes the plans for a party leader debate and calls for a local debate

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, today welcomed the agreement for a debate between the Party Leaders and called for a local debate between candidates.

David said, “I think it is absolutely right that politicians put themselves up for public scrutiny. The Prime Minister is quizzed on a weekly basis, but the Opposition Leaders never have to answer questions about their policies. The televised debates will rightly put the spotlight on all three major party leaders, and will give voters a real choice.”

David added, “It is time however for greater local accountability, and the Tories are falling a long way short of the mark. On Cheshire East Council they’ve banned supplementary questions from Councillors, and the current MP persistently refuses my calls for a public debate. Apparently he does not think it is in his interest to debate with me. Well I’m sorry he feels that way, but it is the interest of democracy that should be paramount, not the interest of personal gain. He continues to take pot-shots at the Government, run the country down, and tell blatant lies about Labour policy, but he will not subject himself to scrutiny or cross-examination.”

David concluded by saying, “The next election is about real choices and whilst some politicians play cynical games to suppress debate, the electorate will not engage. We have a duty to collectively rebuild people’s trust in politics, and that can only be achieved through open and honest debate.”

DAVID WILLIAMS CONDEMNS TORY POLICE PROPOSALS

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has today called the Tory proposals to introduce elected Police Chiefs ‘a dangerous politicisation’ that could lead to extremism in our Police Forces.

David Cameron has pledged that a Tory Government would introduce locally elected ‘Commissioners’ to run Police Forces. The Tory proposals follow controversial comments made by Boris Johnson’s Deputy, Kit Malthouse, who claimed that the Tories now “have our hands on the tiller” of the Metropolitan Police.

David Williams said, “In London the Tories are already claiming that they have operational control of the police. Their proposals nationally are even more ominous. This politicisation of the police is extremely dangerous and only broad-based Police Authorities with Councillors and Independent Members can avoid the potential dangers of politicisation and extremism that a single elected person could create.”

David added, “The operational independence of Chief Officers is a crucial constitutional principle that no government should interfere with.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said, “We have never considered introducing elected Commissioners because we are clear that Chief Officers, and Chief Officers alone, are responsible for running their force – there can only be confusion and dysfunction under the Tories’ plans to introduce a second quasi-operational Commissioners. David Cameron’s proposals represent a dangerous politicisation of the police force and I have yet to meet a senior officer who supports it.”

The Tory plans have been described by Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers as “undemocratic” and Scotland Yard have expressed anger at the claims that the Tories are ‘running The Met’ and said that policing was “far too important to be used as a political football”.

David Williams commented, “Do we really want the police in Crewe and Nantwich to be run by one of the Tories on Cheshire East Council? This is a most dangerous right-wing proposal that could seriously undermine our local Police Force and must be opposed at all costs.”

Sleeping Beauty

The family and I had a great evening out at the panto tonight.

"Oh no you didn't"

Oh yes we did.

Another superb production by the team at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe.

We've been going every year since my eldest was a nipper and we've always had a great night out.

Being the last night the cast were having a party on stage, playing jokes on each other and generally having a great time with the audience loving it. The whole thing overran by 30 minutes, I'll certainly be doing the last night again.

It's a smashing theatre and should be cherished by all in Crewe and neighbouring areas.

I just hope the Council don't see it as an easy target for budget cuts. They were certainly looking at it last year.

Politicians from all sides, who support the Lyceum, must stand together and fight any attack on the theatre.

I hope many more choose to have a great night out at the Lyceum Theatre - an Edwardian delight.

Happy New Year

David Williams, Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich said, “I would like to give my best wishes to you for the new year.”

“2009 was challenging for many people, but evidence suggests that the Government's positive action to help people through these difficult times has made a real difference. That is why I backed the exceptional measures taken by Gordon Brown. With unemployment and home repossessions fewer than in previous recessions, it appears that the mistakes of the 1980s and early 1990s have not be repeated. That does not mean we should be complacent. The recovery is very fragile and we must continue throughout 2010 to help people back to work and invest in jobs. Now is not the time to abandon people, putting jobs and homes at risk.

"There is a real challenge for local politicians to work together for the future prosperity of Crewe and Nantwich. We need to get the Crewe Gateway Scheme up and running, with a station developed on it's existing site and a link road to the Basford development sites that could bring more than 7,000 jobs to the area. We need a town centre redevelopment and a new bus station to enable us to compete with neighbouring shopping destinations. And we need investment in training opportunities for young people so that they can have a good start to their working lives.

"Of course this year there will be a general election and people will have their say on a range of issues. Confidence in MPs is low and voters will be looking for an open and honest debate, which is the only way we can rebuild confidence in Parliamentary democracy.

"All the best for 2010."