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Ed Davey's crime pledge ahead of Hull elections

Sir Ed Davey at Outkast Panda CrewImage source, Tim Iredale / 91热爆
Image caption,

Sir Ed Davey (centre) visited a youth project in Hull

At a glance

  • Sir Ed Davey visited Hull ahead of the local elections

  • Published

The Liberal Democrat leader has put crime at the centre of the party鈥檚 local election campaign in Hull.

Sir Ed Davey came to the city to highlight some of the policies he hopes will keep the Lib Dems in power at the Guildhall.

A burglary response guarantee, where all domestic burglaries are attended by police and properly investigated, is one of the party鈥檚 national pledges.

Local elections are taking place on Thursday 2 May.

Speaking at Outkast Panda Crew 鈥 a project that helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds learn about vehicle maintenance 鈥 Sir Ed said: 鈥淚 think people are astonished that the police are not able to respond to so many burglaries鈥.

Asked why some people did not feel safe venturing into the city centre, especially after dark, Sir Ed Davey said: 鈥淚 am afraid the national government鈥檚 resourcing of police has gone wrong.

鈥淲e want more police here in Hull so we can prevent crime and keep people safe.鈥

One of the criticisms often levelled at Sir Ed Davey by his opponents is the fact he was a minister in the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government which oversaw austerity measures that led to cuts in police numbers.

鈥淭he Liberal Democrats fought the Conservatives every day during that government. There were some tough decisions to make, but we often managed to beat the Tories on a whole range of issues," Sir Ed insisted.

Image source, Getty
Image caption,

Hull City Council has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since 2022

One third of council seats at the Guildhall will be contested on 2 May.

Of the 19 seats up for grabs, the Lib Dems will defend 12 and Labour will defend seven.

Voters in Hull will also elect a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the Humberside force area.

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