Police Not Plastic

Liberal Democrat MP John Barrett, in conjunction with Margaret Smith MSP, is running a campaign to get more police on the beat.
 
John said, "Everyone remembers the massive cuts in police numbers forced through by the Tories. This hurt the fight against crime locally and nationally. That is why Jim Wallace increased Scottish police numbers to record levels when he was Lib Dem Justice Minister. However, from the people I have spoken to, I know there is a real desire for a more visible police presence.
 
"That is why Liberal Democrats would scrap Labour’s plans to waste £3 billion [now put at £5.6 billion] on identity cards. We would use the savings to employ over 10,000 more police. This is a far more effective way of cutting crime. I know local people would prefer another police officer on their street than another card in their pocket."

You can show your support by completing John’s Police Not Plastic petition

Further information

News items

Airport U-turn shows Government ‘scared’ of public verdict on ID cards, 04 November 2008
New ID card design will not sell scheme to the public, 25 September 2008
IT failure final nail in the coffin for ID cards, 20 November 2007
Edinburgh Lib Dems pledge – ‘Police not Plastic’, 12 November 2007
Barrett comments on Queen’s speech, 15 November 2006
Barrett grills Minister over ‘fatally flawed’ ID cards proposals, 20 March 2006
Barrett attacks ‘creeping compulsion’ of ID card proposals, 13 February 2006
Students let down by Labour, 04 October 2005
I.D. cards a waste of time and money – Barrett, 28 June 2005

Speeches and articles

Identity Cards Expensive and Ineffective , 25 November 2004