Clarke must listen to Wales on unwanted police merger

12.00.00am GMT Thu 10th Feb 2005

Home Secretary Charles Clarke must take out his ear plugs, if he is to hear the disquiet in Wales over his plan to force the police to merge.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly leader Mike German added his voice to the growing row today, backing Police Authorities in Gwent and North Wales who fear that the enforced merger will produce a worse service for their areas.

Mr German, who has been an outspoken critic since the plan was first announced, said: "The Home Office, aided and abetted by Peter Hain, are pressing ahead with an unwanted, unneeded and unpopular plan. They are determined to impose their will on Wales, but the view from this end of the M4 is quite clear - Wales wants to make its own decisions on its own police forces.

"The vocal opposition of my local police authority in Gwent, as well as the much-reported comments from North Wales only serve to reinforce what the vast majority of politicians in Wales know. The people of Wales are happy with the police forces they have. Police forces which represent their area, and are accountable to them. The system isn't broken - it doesn't need this New Labour fix.

"Labour's growing unpopularity and distance from the people they claimed they would serve back in 1997 has been amply demonstrated in Dunfermline overnight. Pressing ahead with their proposals to bash together the four police forces in Wales - and forcing up council tax to boot - will ensure that we see a lot more of the Dunfermline effect in the years to come."