Holyrood Happenings

Mike Rumbles' Column

Mike Rumbles MSP

Everyone knows that Scotland is facing, just like every other part of the UK, a cutback in public spending in order to tackle the huge deficit in our finances left to us by the last UK government. However, because of the way Scotland receives it's block grant from Westminster, the scale of our cutbacks at 16% of our budget is going to be markedly less than for the rest of the UK. It is still however going to mean a cut in the level of service we have come to expect from our public agencies.

I suppose it is only to be expected therefore that some public figures see this situation as an opportunity to advance their own particular aims under the guise of coming to the aid of the public purse in times of financial difficulties. We must be very careful to recognise these calls for what they actually are. Take for example the call last week from Steve House, the Chief Constable of Strathclyde police to establish a 'national' police force for Scotland.

Mr House said that while it may not be the cheapest option in the short term, it was the most sensible course of action. What sent alarm bells ringing is that our nationalist minority government in Holyrood is not ruling out this option. There are of course fears that our nationalist government would quite like to see a 'national' police force for Scotland and that they could easily prioritise nationalist rhetoric ahead of the effective policing of our communities.

This proposal from the Chief Constable of Strathclyde must be resisted. It is not being put forward as a reaction to financial difficulties. It is being proposed because there are some who would benefit enormously from have one centralised police service for Scotland and there are many like ourselves here in the north-east who would lose out.

We would lose out because we would also lose local control of our policing. A Chief Constable based in Glasgow could not possibly know the real needs of rural Aberdeenshire residents. In deciding on the allocation of resources, the priorities of a central belt focussed 'national' police force would certainly not be those of the north-east.

The argument that since London has only one police force dealing with 7 million people, Scotland with only 5 million people, could also fare better with one force is ludicrous. The needs of London are clearly best dealt with by the Metropolitan police force. The needs of a country the size of Scotland are best dealt with by having several local forces each focussed on the particular needs of their own regions and being responsible and accessible to the people the serve.

What we must not do is allow people who have their own aims and agendas for creating 'national' services to use the financial crisis to undermine effective and local services. Grampian Police are a local and effective police service responsible and accountable to the people they serve. We must not allow it to be sacrificed on the altar of expediency.

Mike Rumbles MSP

16th July 2010