Lib Dems condemn 101 Service Funding Withdrawal

The Home Office announced on Thursday they would withdraw funding for the 101 service from March 2008. The service allowed residents to report non-emergency criminal activity and had been piloted in five areas nationwide, including Northumbria. It was working so well in the North that it had been nominated for a national award by the Home Office.

Last week Newcastle North Liberal Democrat Spokesman Ron Beadle raised his concerns about the future of the service on BBC1's 'The Politics Show'. Labour MP Doug Henderson referred to this as 'gimmick opposition'.

Today Ron Beadle said:

'It isn't 'gimmick opposition' that Mr Henderson needs to worry about but the gimmicks of his own government, making announcements in the full glare of publicity and then quietly removing them in the hope that no-one notices.

We will make sure that people do notice. The 101 service was working well, his government isn't'