Police Number Cuts in England and Wales

TALE OF TWO GOVERNMENTS IN APPROACH TO JUSTICE
The differing approaches to policing and justice by the UK and Scottish Governments has been exposed today as new figures show a drop in the numbers of police officers in England and Wales.

The countries south of the border have seen a drop of 4,516 drop in the past year - the third year of consecutive falls. The overall number of officers is at its lowest since 2002.

This stands in contrast to the situation in Scotland where police figures are at a generational high.

SNP MSP Rod Campbell, who sits on the Justice Committee, said:

“These figures highlight how it is better for Scotland to make its own decisions, rather than leave matters which affect the people of Scotland in the hands of Westminster politicians.

"No wonder Home Secretary Theresa May was heckled at the Police Federation conference, in stark contrast to the standing ovation Kenny MacAskill received at the Scottish Police Federation conference.

"Crime is at a 39-year low in Scotland, fear of crime is down, the risk of being a victim of crime in Scotland is falling and is lower than in England and Wales.

"This is backed by record numbers of police officers – over 1,000 extra since 2007 – who are keeping communities safe and increasing the crime clear-up rate to its highest since 1976.

"People are feeling safer in their communities and – despite the relentless negativity from opposition parties – record police officers underline how decisions made in Scotland are decisions that are best for Scotland."

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-workforce

No Law That Independent Catalonia Should Leave EU

Vice-President of the European Commission Viviane Reding has stated there is no law that says Catalonia should leave the EU if it became independent, undermining Unionist scaremongering that Scotland would have to re-apply for EU membership if we vote for independence in the 2014 referendum.

The comments in a Spanish newspaper are embarrassing timing for the Tory-led anti-independence campaign, with Lord Wallace today again trying to sow uncertainty about Scottish EU membership, despite the absence of any treaty provision in the EU to remove Scotland from the EU.

Commenting, SNP Roderick Campbell – who sits on the European and External Relations Committee - said:

“Viviane Reding’s comments in relation to Catalonia are an important confirmation of the fact that there is simply no provision for an independent Scotland to be removed from the EU.

“Scotland is part of the territory of the European Union and the people of Scotland are citizens of the EU - there is no procedure for either of these circumstances to change upon independence, and the rest of the UK will be exactly the same position. We will both be successor states, with exactly the same status within the EU, and we will both continue to use the pound.

“Instead of scaremongering about an independent Scotland, Lord Wallace would be far better trying to explain why he believes it is better for decisions affecting Scotland to be made by a Tory-led government that has been comprehensively rejected by the people of Scotland.”