Labour launches antisocial behaviour pledge

Mar 28 2008 by David Williamson, Western Mail

LABOUR launched its campaign for the local government elections yesterday with a pledge to fight antisocial behaviour throughout Wales.

It believes a promise to tackle low-level crime can oust the Liberal Democrats from Bridgend, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham councils.

It said Labour councils were prepared to shut down shops and pubs that persistently sold alcohol to under-18s.

Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy said, “It’s our people in Wales living on the estates, living in the Valleys, living in the cities who suffer from this. And tough action by the local authorities, working with the police, is really what’s necessary. We’re going to ram that message home over the next three to four weeks.”

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said clamping down on antisocial behaviour was a matter of social justice. He said, “We’re fed up with marauding gangs on the street corner. We want kids to have something much better to do.

“We’re trying to produce a win-win situation for people who think life could and should be better.”

Launching the campaign at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, he attacked the Lib-Dem council for the £32m cost of the new reopened leisure centre, the LC.

He said, “What you find is Lib-Dems are good in opposition but not very good in government. It’s Wales’ equivalent of the Montreal Olympics.”

The Canadian city spent more than three decades paying off the 1976 Games.

Mr Morgan added that he considered Newport a “battleground” which the party had to hold.

Labour faced a key challenge of informing voters they were not responsible for the actions of Lib-Dem councils, he said.

He said, “Many people still think Labour are running the councils. We’re still trying to get that point over. Yes, Labour lost power nearly four years ago in Swansea. Nothing that happened over the past four years can be attributed to Labour control.”

Derek Vaughan, the Labour leader of Neath Port Talbot council, said, “Currently in Wales the Labour Party only controls nine out of the 22 local authorities. In most of the councils in Wales we’ll be fighting them as the opposition.”

Earlier this year Mr Vaughan, speaking as leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, condemned the Assembly Government funding settlement for councils as “unforgivable”.

However, he insisted that Labour-run councils gave voters better value for money. He said, “It’s no secret this year’s settlement for local government was tight. When I look across Wales the best job was done by Labour councils.

The First Minister said, “We have to get used to the idea we are in a tight budget period. We have to get used to it. It is tough for everybody.”

Liberal Democrat local government spokesperson Jenny Randerson said, “Labour’s stance on crime and antisocial behaviour is a joke. This is the party that axed funding for the popular and successful 101 non-emergency number scheme, when it should have been extended to all of Wales.

“They cut the funding in Whitehall and refused to support it in the Assembly. The 101 number continues in Cardiff, because the Welsh Liberal Democrat-led council has put their money where their mouth is and invested in tackling antisocial behaviour.”

Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister and Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay said, “Labour is losing support in every part of Wales. Their performance at last year’s Assembly elections was their worst in Wales since 1918.

“Ten years of Labour rule has delivered more centrally driven targets, tighter budgets, local service cuts and higher council tax. Under Gordon Brown things have got worse, not better. The cost of living is up, taxes are up, and local services are being cut. That is the record of Labour in government.”

Labour avoided attacking Assembly coalition partners Plaid Cymru. Mr Morgan said, “The key head-to-heads in Wales are Labour and Lib-Dem.”

However, Llanelli Plaid Cymru AM Helen Mary Jones said, “Even for the Labour Party this campaign has come up with a surprising lack of new ideas; voters can only expect more of the same from this party which has obviously run out of steam as anyone who has a Labour council is aware.”