Tory leader David Cameron at the Crewe Guardian

11:21am Tuesday 13th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

TORY leader David Cameron called at the offices of the Crewe Guardian on Monday.

In an exclusive interview with the opposition leader, we asked him about some of the local issues, including immigration, anti-social behaviour and the controversial scrapping of the county and borough councils.

Mr Cameron said: "I would say this, but I think we've got the best candidate.

"We've got a genuinely local candidate who has been working for local people for a year whereas the other parties have dropped people in at the last minute.

"His experience of the law is extremely important.

"What I see in Parliament is that if you want somebody who can stand up for people and get things done then experience of the law is hugely important.

"So many people that we help are entangled in legal problems.

"And I think we are fighting a very positive campaign.

"Whereas others are dressing people up in top hats and hoodies we are actually getting out there and talking about the issues.

"It's up to the voters of Crewe and Nantwich, but in my view it deserves to backfire. "People have had enough of that class-based, divisive, old fashioned, backward looking, negative politics.

"I think we're past that - as a country we are past that.

"I don't think Tony Blair ever would have sanctioned it.

"I think we are campaigning on the issues and the things that matter. Obviously the 10p tax has been a very big issue but also issues like crime and problems with the health service.

"We are fighting to win - it's a tall order, it's a tough battle.

"As they say, the only poll that counts is the one on polling day.

"I know that's a cliché, but it is true. There are maybe 40,000 people who will vote in this by-election and a poll is a sample of, if you're lucky, a few thousand.

"So, we're encouraged that it definitely looks as if it's a two-horse race.

"It's only the Conservatives that can beat Labour and that has become very clear in this part of the campaign.

"But we are going to work very very hard and hope we can do the best we can.

"I think that by-elections do have a national significance, but the most important thing is that people in Crewe and Nantwich can think I've got this opportunity, to elect a really good local MP to work for me, and I've got this opportunity to send this very clear message to Gordon Brown about what I think of the Government'.

"So I hope they take this opportunity.

"Will it have national significance? We will have to see, but the eyes of the whole country are on Crewe and Nantwich.

"When I came last week I had a very good, friendly walkabout, people wanted to come and say hello and were interested in meeting the candidate.

"I think there is a very good buzz.

"The enemy in many ways is cynicism, apathy, you're all the same', doesn't make any difference'.

"I think people want us to work harder and harder to get them out and say - actually if you get a good MP they can make a difference."

Asked whether he thought the influx of thousands of Polish migrants into the area was a good thing, he said: "We think that there are benefits from immigration.

"You have to campaign very carefully on these issues. Immigration is a very sensitive and delicate issue.

"I think it is noticeable that the Conservative Party has not been splattering immigration messages all over its literature because we know how careful you have to be with this issue.

"Obviously we think that a control on immigration is a good thing. We have a very clear policy on that.

"We have suggested a points system, but it ought to be a points system with a limit.

"You can't obviously limit EU migration but you can limit non-EU migration and you can say that new EU member states should have transitional controls.

"But as I say we have been very careful in this by-election not to raise the profile of an issue that is already quite high."

Responding to a question about crime and disorder in Crewe and Nantwich, he went on: "We have just been with the police actually and they were very frustrated on alcohol.

"And they were not complaining so much about the on-licence premises, the bars and pubs and so on, but they were saying there is so much availability of low-price high-strength alcohol.

"We suggested before the budget to put an extra tax on the White Lightning ciders. Do you know anyone who drinks White Lightning of an evening, for a quiet tipple with their mates?

"It is something people buy to get off their heads.

"We want a proper tax policy that hits the high-strength ciders and lagers and use that money to cut taxes on the low strength beers to try and encourage a responsible drinking culture.

"They said the CSOs were working well. They were frustrated by the paperwork - particularly over small surveillance operations.

"Say you want to have a camera to see a car park. For small things like that, which are not invading anyone's privacy, a huge amount of paperwork has to be done.

"We have been very clear, attack the paperwork, get the police on the beat, get rid of the stop form you have to fill out every time you stop someone.

"That will make a big difference.

"And if there are new powers that are necessary, for alcohol-free zones and the like, we would be happy to look at that."

Asked about the reorganisation of Cheshire's local authorities, which were opposed by former MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, he said: "It was the last conversation I had with her.

"She accosted me on the steps below my office and we had a chat.

"I was always against these reorganisations. But we are where we are, the new system has come in and we have to make it work.

"We fought the police amalgamations. We wanted Cheshire to keep its police force.

"Remember the Labour Government was trying to get rid of the Cheshire Police but we said no, we want to keep the county forces.

"Because actually Cheshire is not part of Liverpool, or part of Manchester. It's got its own identity, it should have it's own police force and these smaller police forces can work.

"So that's another thing that Edward will be able to fight for.

"When you get these threats coming in, you need a good tough MP who does not go along with the party line."