Blunkett accuses Howard of “hypocrisy” on crime
The Home Secretary has accused Michael Howard of planning to cut spending on the police and the Home Office at the same time as talking tough on crime.
According to David Blunkett, the Conservatives are committed to an “immediate cut of at least £20 billion to public services, including a cut of £1.6 billion to the Home Office budget.”
Labour bases its claim of a budget cut in the public services on a comparison of its budget plans after the Comprehensive Spending Review, and a statement in February from Oliver Letwin in which he proposed a 0 per cent growth in the expenditure of some departments.
The alleged “60 per cent” Home Office cut comes from Mr Letwin’s statement that he can save £1.3 billion a year from the immigration and asylum budget, but Labour claim this is equivalent to 60 per cent of the entire budget and “is equivalent to sacking every single member of customs and immigration staff.”
Michael Howard is due to speak in Middlesbrough tomorrow where he is expected to outline further details of the Conservatives’ crime strategy.
One key plank already announced is the promise to fund 40,000 extra front-line police officers.
Writing on Monday for the Labour Party’s website, Mr Blunkett said: “Michael Howard says that people should take responsibility for their actions but will he accept responsibility for his record of cutting police numbers and his commitment to cutting the Home Office budget by £1.6 billion?”
“He talks tough on crime but he has a proven track record of cutting police officers. When Michael Howard was Home Secretary, he promised extra police officers but delivered 1,132 fewer. With Labour an 10,000 extra officers have been recruited in the last two years alone.”
“I agree that responsibility from the family outward to the community is at the core of tackling disrespect, thuggery and criminality.
“To build it we need improved parenting and a sense of identity and belonging. We need role models to help children understand right from wrong. But to do this we need investment in rebuilding the fractured family and community – a hallmark of the ‘no society’ era of the 1980s and early 1990s.
“Under the Tories excluded children received on average only two hours education in referral units, whereas now they receive full time supervision. Parents were left to flounder where there are now Sure Start programmes, parenting orders and child tax credits. The Tories’ proposed cuts to public services threaten this progress.”
