JAMES FRITH: 'The Tories have failed on every level to keep us safe'

A former Chancellor fined for millions of pounds in unpaid taxes.

A Home Secretary reappointed only days after breaking national security protocols.

The deputy PM under investigation for 24 complaints of alleged bullying.

And Tractorgate, Pincher, Patterson, Partygate, Williamson bullying, Patel too…are you keeping up?

Yes. Another week, another disgraced Tory MP from a government in limp mode.

By the party of breaking the law and disorder, in a loop of deny, defend, decry and dump.

All the while, they’re incapable of leading the change we need.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: PA)

Downing Street isn’t the only street in Britain with unruly behaviour.

Our streets and estates suffer the scourge from increasing anti-social behaviour and crime.

I keep in mind the thousands of families and residents in Bury that play by the rules to make ends meet. We know its tough.

And know that many more have it even tougher. People are hard-up and fed-up.

But this government’s inadequacy is lethal.

The Tories have failed on every level to keep us safe.

Dangerous offenders are not being properly supervised on release from prison. The probation service is on its knees.

Too many offenders go on to commit serious further offences.

High risk offenders on probation commit six serious further offences every week, on average.

The Prime Minister is overseeing chaos and overwhelmed at every turn.

He's not up to the job because the job is too big for him.

What will Labour do? The next Labour government will stabilise the probation service.

We'll ensure the recruitment and retaining of staff make sure victims are supported. And that victims and their family's get justice.

We'll crack down on crime with plans that include 13,000 more police on our streets.

Along with specialist courts and a new Domestic Abuse Register and tougher sentences for rape.

Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their homes and in their community.

But the Conservatives are weak on crime with millions of victims paying the price.

Parents worry about their children playing in the park or being targeted online.

Pensioners worry about scams or being robbed in the street.

Small businesses worry they will be targeted by thieves or vandals.

Knife crime plagues too many communities.

Women and girls feel less safe on the streets.

And anti-social behaviour ruins lives without consequence.

Labour is the party of law and order. The last Labour government cut crime by a third and rolled out neighbourhood policing.

Neighbourhood police officers have fallen by 6,000.

There are 8,500 fewer police community support officers.

The next Labour government will rebuild neighbourhood policing.

I'm extremely concerned by the knowledge in Bury of knife-related harm or worse.

Anti-social behaviour is rocketing while austerity continues to take its toll.

Labour's plans will put Bobbies back on the Bury beat with the police uplift programme.

Politicians have every responsibility to keep the public safe.

To serve and protect as one, the police service might put it.

Politics has a job to restore faith in its power to do good.

To provide meaningful improvements to people’s everyday life. We believe in better, and so we should.

James Frith is the Labour Candidate for the general election. He served as MP for Bury North between 2017 to 2019 and hopes to do so again. He tweets @JamesFrith and can be contacted via JamesFrithforBuryNorth.com.