BBC Breakfast turned slightly awkward on Tuesday when Dan Walker quizzed Labour’s Nick Thomas-Symonds while discussing the declining number of police officers across England.
Shadow Home Secretary, Nick, vowed that the Labour Party would “bring back neighbourhood policing” and will implement further “eyes, ears and boots on the ground” during a major police recruitment mission.
The Labour party vowed to recruit 5,000 special constables should they get into power.
As Nick vowed to hire more police officers should Labour win the next general election, he appeared to dodge one of Dan’s questions about his promise.
Dan appeared to be slightly annoyed as he asked for a second time: “You talked about hubs and special constables, which I appreciate but the question was specifically about how many more you would add?
“Are you saying you can’t say that number? Or you will add some to that 20,000 that the Conservatives said they will return to? I’m talking about full-time officers.”
“What I am saying, is, I will make that assessment, it is a responsible thing to do closer to the election,” said Nick.
He went on to add: “It isn’t just about the frontline police officers, I’m all for more frontline police officers but if what happens is, they just happen to backfill those functions that are being carried out by civilian staff.
“You’re not getting what I want which is police officers in every single neighbourhood.”
(Image: BBC)
However, Dan wasn’t holding back as he continued to probe the MP, asking: “How are you going to pay for that? Give us an idea and how much you’re going to need?”
Speaking from the Labour Party conference in Brighton, Nick responded: “The money, I can tell you today would come from a very different choice that we would make in government.
(Image: BBC)
“We wouldn’t be spending £283 million on a vanity yacht project, we would immediately be able to redistribute that money and re-direct it into tackling anti-social behaviour.
“I would be in a position as Home Secretary to be making that money available, to be able to say to police forces around the country, ‘tell me where you antisocial behaviour hotspots are.'”
The Conservatives have vowed to introduce a “national yacht” that is believed to cost up to £200 million, paid for by the Ministry of Defence.
The vessel will be the successor of the Royal Yacht Britannia that was taken out of service in 1997.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
