THE SHADOW Conservative spokesperson for Public Protection in Thurrock has made a blistering attack on Labours record on public protection.
Homesteads councillor James Halden has criticised Thurrock Labour’s record on the cuts, PCSOs, police station opening and cllr Kiely’s Twitter comments during the riots.
Cllr Halden said: “Lets get this into focus: we are talking about cutting receptions desks, not police numbers.
Essex police figures show that a massive 76.2 percent of people questioned in a survey stated that they had not visited a police station in the last 12 months.
“Despite the funding cuts made necessary by Labours legacy of debt, Essex will in fact have more officers out and about.
“The number of police officers in neighborhood policing teams will increase by around 12 percent (from 472 to 527).
“This is being made possible by cutting wasteful desk work and red tape.
Cllr Halden went on to attack the Labour leader cllr John Kent over his statement that the hadn’t been consulted over the cuts.
Cllr Halden said: asked “Well Cllr Kent,you have a representative to the police authority and you have a cabinet member with a public protection brief.
So except for political point scoring, what are you doing that is constructive?”
Cllr Halden went onto say “Cllr Kent’s hypocrisy is staggering.We have a council leader who, if he cared about police strength, then he would not have tried to cut police community support officers in his first budget after saying he supported there continuation in 2009.
“Fortunately the officers were saved by the Conservative alternative budget.
“We have a council leader who tells the public that he supports PCSO’s when he is in fact trying to cut them.
“We have a council leader that bemoans policing cuts to try and scare people without telling them that Essex police will be increasing its neighborhood policing teams.
We have a council leader who takes no action against a Labour Councillor who labels the police as racists when they are simply trying to deal with violent rioters.
“And we have a council leader who is in denial about the lack of money his lest government left behind.
“This just goes to show, you can’t trust Labour with public protection.”
“Cllr Kent’s hypocrisy is staggering how you dare mention hypocrisy when you were involved in an incident involving the theft of wine threatening the landlady who is a resident of Thurrock and who was threatened to have her license remove those in glass houses should not throw stones. And with the entire goings on within the Tory Party I thought you would have welcomed cuts in the police
Whilst I do not support either of the main parties stance on crime as they have both shown a lack of courage to do what the majority of the public want in regards to criminals, I have to say that Cllr Halden has made some very salient points regarding the Leader of TBC, I commented recently on the hypocracy of his statement where he tried to use the recent riots to grab the headlines about the closure of ploice stations.
As has been shown by the reports by Essex Police, the front office of the police stations are not financially viable to remain open, they are offering alternative services using technology based solutions like On-Line reporting or the new 101 telephone number, the closures have absolutley nothing to do with the cuts in the amount of available officers or PCSO’s, obvously Cllr Kent is either blinded to that fact or was just out to try and scare the public, either of which is diabolical for a council leader to do.
We all know the ramifications of the failure of the last Labour government to deal effectively with the countries finances and as such we are all having to tighten our belts, this is something that Labour party members seem to have forgotten about, all local councils are feeling the pinch as the central funding is cut to protect the remainder of the country.
As for the Cllr who placed his comments regading the racism in the force, this just shows that the local Labour party are just as bad at disciplining their members as the local Tory party are……
Oh Albert, I assume you are playing the man because you know you can’t play the ball?
Cllr Halden, like most of us, has made mistakes in the past. It doesn’t mean he is automatically in the wrong every time he opens his mouth!
When you get into the real world jimmy boy ie work full-time for a living, have some take on life like paying bills, being a parent, owning property etc instead of having mummy and daddy to rely on, then keep your childish tory views to yourself. Your government is ripping the heart out of our communities and it’s your political party that will have to take it on the chin next year.
Don’t blame Cllr John Kent, his a very busy man, after all he is on the local NHS Trust Board, which pays him £15,000 a year, no wait, silly me, it seems he has only attended 1 out of his 6 possible meetings Page 21 of the PDF or 15 for the footed page number on the Annual Report and Accounts 2010 – 2011 link:
http://www.basildonandthurrock.nhs.uk/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=2&Itemid=73
councillor James Halden unquestionably you must get fed up continuously attacking cllr Kiely’s Twitter comments hopefully you and him will be able to sit down and have a nice brandy at the nightingale club and put your issues aside and get on with the job in hand helping the residents perhaps where Cllr Kiely’s out and about having discussion with the local residents hearing their points of views. You may be able to both put your heads together and help your communities
I dont know about playing the man as Ben Gadsby states, i didnt think Cllr Halden was old enough to be called a man. As Colin Barnes puts it so well Haldens upbringing is hardly that of your average Thurrock child. Perhaps when he as a touch of the real world he will be able to make a sensible contribution to the role of a Councillor.
As for any Tory having the gall to comment on policing at a time when there parties cuts are ripping the heart out of policing in Thurrock is beyond a joke.
1. Ben Gadsby
August 30, 2011 – 5:33 pm
Oh Albert, I assume you are playing the man because you know you can’t play the ball?
Cllr Halden, like most of us, has made mistakes in the past. It doesn’t mean he is automatically in the wrong every time he opens his mouth!
BEN like the majority of us, he has made mistakes in the past but regrettably like every Tory, do we get an apology or even a statement and how was he reprimanded as usual nothing so that is why I automatically make him in the wrong is that what you call a man, because I think he is a stupid boy like most of the residents of Thurrock it sickens me when people in this boys position and his associates commit crime tell other people not to do it, do it their selves and still expect people like yourself to listen to them is that enough on the ball for you or too much we don’t want to make James cry
…and don’t trust Conservative Councillors with hampers donated to charity!
WHYS THAT DAVE
Cllr Halden: Lets watch this space about what happens to police numbers out on our streets and i think you may end up eating your words. Are you so green that you think that closing front counters in the middle of the night will make sure that Thurrock absorbs its share of the catastrophic cuts being imposed by your government on our police force? Police numbers in Essex/Thurrock will fall and that has been widely publicised.
As always you spout off trying to take the political high ground when in fact you should be out getting some life skills before you try to speak with any authority on such a serious issue.
Ben Gladsby: Who are you to say that people should move on and that Cllr Halden ‘made a mistake’!
Lets be clear here. Allegedly and widely reported.
He attended an event in his official capacity as councillor.
He behaved like a child at the event, to the extent of embarressing the host.
His behaviour in the Mayoral car was so offensive he is never allowed in it again.
He took the stolen wine into the Catcracker pub
He was thrown out and barred from the pub.
Now there is more to this and we have done this many times but ‘made a mistake’. Is not good enough when you hold a public office. And is not likely to disappear any time soon. I have a feeling that both Halden and Nicklen were told keep your head down and carry on but this young lad has failed to do this.
I am sure Cllr, Hardiman, Rockcliffe and Cowell felt like that ‘made a mistake’ too but clearly there is double standards in the Thurrock Conservatives.
What communities in Thurrock are having their hearts ripped out. Are we talking about Grays and Tilbury because if we are that’s for totally different reasons. Where are the savage cuts to police numbers so evident. Why are the Labour party so concerned about the police, as far as they’re concerned they’re all racists anyway. Did the Labour party and it’s supporters collectively fall down a rabbit hole in 2010 and lose all memory of the previous 13 years. There is a pathalogical denial of events and causes running through the Labour party and it’s supporters. It’s almost as though they really believe none of the currect problems were caused by their time in government.
Editorial Comment
YT understands that the NHS play JK considerably less than £15k (will check out)
The meetings are for Governors. Non execs are invited but we think council meetings clash with them.
If it’s the case or not, is it really the point YT. Here is the leader of the council picking up whatever amount of money for doing very little if anything. He then condemns other people for cutbacks in public expenditure when it is clear that someone needs to take control of the abuses that are taking place. Is he still getting paid by the hugely successful East of England Development Agency.
if Kent gets well reimbursed for his efforts how does it compare with haldens morning news paper round
Councillor Kent is milking public money for his own ends. He then has the temerity to point the finger at other people because they realise that the country as a whole cannot continue to spend the publics money at the rate the Labour party were. He treats tax payers money as though it’s his own. He may as well go and put his hand in someones trouser pocket and dig out whatever he can. After all he is a public servant and it’s his money to do as he likes with.