Labour Police Chief candidate launches Rochdale campaign

Tony Lloyd, Labour Police Chief candidate launches Rochdale campaign

Labour’s candidate in the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner elections has launched his Rochdale campaign and vowed to fight cuts affecting the service.

Tony Lloyd, formerly the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, has left his seat in the House of Commons in order to run in the election.

He was in Rochdale to meet local people and tell them about the new Police Commissioner role and his campaign and to hear their views about the police, crime and the wider justice system.

Mr Lloyd said: “Crime affects us all. We all want to be secure in our homes and our families to live in safe communities, secure in the knowledge that our home and streets are safe at night.

“The Tory/Lib Dem government is targeting our communities in Greater Manchester, cutting nearly 3,000 Police jobs - the largest cuts in the country.

“Senior police officers warn that the government is cutting the policing budget too far, too fast, taking risks with public safety.

“The Police and Crime Commissioner is an important new role but many people don't know that we're going to be voting for someone to run our Police in November.

“I've worked hard throughout my years in Parliament to represent the people of Greater Manchester. I know that the best way for me to represent the views of local people is to listen to their experiences and what matters to them.

“That's why I’ve visited Rochdale to talk to people about the new role and their priorities.”

Mr Lloyd was born and grew up in Stretford and went to local schools.

He was a Member of Parliament from 1983 and served as a Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party and Chair of the Trade Union Group of Labour MPs.

His campaign pledges are as follows.

• To stand up for communities against the Tories’ 20 per cent cuts to policing and the loss of nearly 3,000 police and civilian posts in Greater Manchester (and 16,000 police officers nationally). 
• To build the community partnerships which make neighbourhood policing work and keep police on the beat not hand policing over to private companies. 
• To ensure that the anti-social neighbour and the local yob know the police will stop them from terrorising our communities. Victims will get a response within 24 hours. 
• To make sure victims of crime are at the centre of events from early investigation, kept in touch with progress and treated with the dignity they should expect. 
• To tackle domestic and sexual violence and exploitation of children as a top priority. 
• To build partnerships with community groups and the local councils and across the criminal justice system to tackle and prevent crime.