4,000 back police over threatened jobs axe

More than 4,000 people have signed Labour’s petition to stop planned cuts to Greater Manchester Police.

The “Wrong Cuts, Wrong Time” campaign was launched in Manchester last week by Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Ed Balls.

Oldham Labour members followed with a protest at Oldham Jobcentre and the campaign has spread across Greater Manchester.

GMP is preparing to shed almost a quarter of jobs including 1,387 police officers, as part of their response to the Government spending review.

All of Labour’s Greater Manchester MPs, including Oldham West and Royton’s Michael Meacher and David Heyes, whose Ashton constituency includes Failsworth, have written an open letter about the cuts and the risk to public safety.

They say: “The coalition is taking big risks with public safety by cutting the police budget. Being a victim of crime has a deeply negative impact on people’s lives. Cutting frontline police officers is not only misguided but is also thoroughly reckless.

“At the General Election the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives promised more police on the streets in Greater Manchester. But instead after the votes were counted they chose to cut the police. “

MPs will also be writing a joint letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May to raise their concerns.

Members of the public can still sign the petition online at www.999wrongcutswrongtime.com