Law and disorder?

Prison officers on strike, nurses walking out of a mental health hospital - are we in for a winter of discontent? Those working in public services feel unloved and unappreciated. Given how much money has been pumped into public services this is surprising. Too much money has been spent on target setting and the administration required to measure compliance - what we need is money redirected to front line services. Nurses, prison officers and many other professionals do a fantastic job for very little recognition or reward. That has to change.

Perhaps even more disturbing is how ineffective our community police officers have been as reported in the press this week. The number of crimes solved is tiny - but let us bear in mind that they are not to blame. Their training is minimal and their powers are severely limited. This is a labour government attempt to meet the public outcry for "bobbies on the beat" - with a cheap "sticking plaster" solution. And what of our full time, fully trained police force? They remain frustrated by so much desk work filing in forms and a drive to get crime solved numbers up by solving the easy "paper" crimes rather than the crimes which are more damaging for society. Can we please focus on crimes which damage people and communities rather than those which are little more than a technical infringement?

Canvassing in Starcross and Bishopsteignton this week was very enlightening - lots of support for me and the Conservatives in areas which to date have been seen as solidly Liberal Democrat. I am increasingly hearing it said that the Liberal Democrats and Richard Younger-Ross are simply not delivering on promises made and that community life is getting worse not better - rubbish collection, parking provision, traffic speed, planning are all cited as not working.

The bypass continues to be a key issue -and we need to ensure any decision takes account of all affected communities - not just Kingskerswell and Torquay. Newton Abbot residents in whose community the Penn Inn roundabout sits, need to be asked for their views along with many others. I was intrigued by Richard Younger-Ross's position on the bypass as he expressed it in the Herald Express-he is only in favour of the bypass if there is no development. Given the proposal for the bypass contains significant plans for housing development, does this mean he is in fact against the bypass?

While predictions in the national press suggest an election announcement this week, labour are at pains to deny this. What is really happening in the labour camp - and how ready for an election are they really? It could be an interesting week!