I welcome this week’s announcement by the Electoral Commission that a review is to be carried out into how the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were conducted.

Labour warned the Government repeatedly that they had the wrong policy at the wrong time and that turnout would be low. Theresa May and David Cameron didn’t listen and it is shocking that they have spent over £100m on this election which could have been spent on 3,000 police officers this year.

Despite being David Cameron’s flagship police reform policy, these Police and Crime Commissioner elections have been a complete shambles and suffered from a catalogue of irresponsible decisions by the Tory-led Government.

Why on earth did Theresa May and David Cameron choose to hold these elections in November against the advice of everyone involved? They have given no good answer to that question. The Electoral Commission review needs to get to the bottom of this as well as the chaotic failings from the Tory-led Government at every step along the way and publish the results as soon as possible. Government attempts to dismiss this shambles as the fault of the media or the public for not being interested enough are outrageous. Nor is it good enough to just say it will be better next time. This fiasco is a direct result of

GOVERNMENT DITHERING ON LOW CARBON GROWTHMEAN INVESTORS ARE GOING ELSEWHERE

The Tory-led Government is throwing away the massive jobs and growth opportunities presented by the new low carbon energy and technology, not to mention betraying their promises on the environment. That’s why this week Ed Miliband has called on David Cameron to make a commitment to the 2030 de-carbonisation target so investors all over the world know we are open for low

carbon business.

The Confederation of British Industry believes low carbon business could halve our trade deficit by 2014-15. And yet, despite David Cameron’s promises that this Government

would be the greenest government ever we have a government that has delayed crucial decisions on the Green Investment Bank and de-carbonisation targets.

This short sightedness is damaging the green economy. The short-sightedness of the Government means billions of pounds in investment is going elsewhere or being put on

hold. Since this Government came to power, investment in renewable energy hasn’t gone up, it hasn’t even stagnated - it has halved.

3

Police and Crime Commissioner elections

shambles

Nic Dakin MP

23 November

2012

A dangerous moment for Britain and British business

The positive case for Britain’s future in Europe needs to be heard

 

There is much we need to do to make the EU work better for Britain.

Reform will be difficult and it will have its frustrations, but one thing is certain: for business, for jobs and for wealth creation, it is better to reform Europe than to leave.   

But I am extremely worried about Britain’s future in Europe. David Cameron says he wants to stay in Europe, but he is too weak to ensure that we do.  

The centre of gravity has shifted in the Conservative Party, with some of the Prime Minister’s most senior colleagues now saying they want to pull out of the EU. This will make it very difficult for David Cameron to make decisions in the national interest. This makes for a very dangerous moment for Britain and British business.     The EU is essential for British business. It is a single market of 500 million people – where we do 60 per cent of our trade. It attracts huge inward investment to the UK. Withdrawal would leave Britain voiceless and powerless, on the outside looking in at forums like world trade talks.  

Instead of building a One Nation economy, we would be left with an off-shore Britain competing on low wages and low skills in a race to the bottom.  With 25 million people without jobs across Europe, we know the EU needs reform. We need to make the EU work for Britain. To do that, we need to build alliances for change and ensure countries like ours who aren’t in the Euro aren’t penalised.

Labour would build alliances in Europe to support a plan for jobs and growth; reform further the EU budget so that money is better spent, on

P & P by Nic Dakin MP, 18a Ethel Court, Scunthorpe DN15 6RP. Tel: 01724 842000