Tories attack PCC over businessman’s murder
CONSERVATIVES have blamed poor leadership by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson after the murder of a Black Country businessman.
With an election to choose the next police commissioner due in May, a Tory MP launched a scathing attack on Mr Jamieson, the current Labour incumbent.
Mr Jamieson is not standing again, and Labour’s candidate on May 6 will be solicitor Simon Foster. Conservatives have selected former journalist Jay Singh-Sohal, an army reserve captain.
Conservative MP Marco Longhi, who represents Dudley North, told the House of Commons that the region needed a Commissioner who was willing to work with the Government, which appeared to be another way of saying it needs a Conservative.
He told the Commons: “Figures show that crime continues to rise. Violent crime in the West Midlands has more than doubled since 2015, so we need robust regional leadership to tackle this, and a police and crime commissioner who is willing
to work with the Home Secretary and the Policing Minister to deliver safer streets in our communities.
“Despite the unprecedented level of funding, sadly, I must report to the House that gang warfare recently broke out on Dudley High Street and that, a week later, a local businessman was murdered.
“It would seem that the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner has lost control of policing. It is much
more than money that fixes problems; it is competence and leadership. Effective people can open doors in Government and unlock further funding, but only when coupled with plans that can show clear deliverability.”
He said this is “what I know we would have with Jay Singh-Sohal” after May’s election. The murdered businessman he referred to was taxi firm boss Haroon Zeb, who died of his injuries after being shot in the early hours of January 31.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said: “The MP for Dudley has conveniently forgotten to mention that the government he supports has hit West Midlands Police with the biggest cuts in the country at £175 and lost over 2,200 officers and we are only set to get half of them back under government plans.
“He should be working with me to secure more resources for West Midlands Police that still loses out about £40million a year to lower crime rural areas when it comes to the funding formula.
“His government has talked tough on crime but has failed to tackle its causes and support our police.
“They have cut courts service to the bone which is putting criminals back on the streets and meaning thousands of victims are missing out on justice.”
An election for a West Midlands Mayor, and council elections in Solihull, Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell, Coventry and Wolverhampton, will also be held on May 6.
A BOLD ‘curved chequerboard’ office block in Birmingham’s Centenary Square could get the go-ahead this week.
They plans form part of the proposed Arena Central development which is set to bring a number of new buildings to the square
including the completed Dandara Apartments.
Proposals include the start of the ‘Serpentine route’, a green path running through the development. The site lies next to the west of the former Birmingham Municipal Bank, built in 1933, but a report to
councillors said the impact from the new building would be “acceptable”.
The plans – which include 30 car parking spaces – are recommended for approval by the city council’s planning team. But the Canal and Rivers Trust was critical of the lack of a link between the landscaping on the site and the nearby canal network, which it said “provides a break in the city’s green infrastructure”.
The plans, by Arena Central Developments, are due to be considered this Friday.