MP slams Lib Dem prison scare story

WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has slammed the town’s Liberal Democrats for what she says was a damaging “scare story” about the possibility of a new prison being built in the borough.
She said: “This is a deliberate scare story put out by an increasingly desperate Lib Dem leadership who are trying to deflect the news away from their poor stewardship of our town, not least the appalling Ofsted report into our Children’s Services Department.
“Just how many Lib Dem councillors does it take to read and understand Jack Straw’s statement last April when he ruled out any new prison in Warrington under a Labour government? He could not have been clearer.”
In April, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced in the House of Commons:”I can tell the House that we will not be pursuing a prison on the Omega site in Warrington.”
He continued: “As far as this Government is concerned, that is an absolute guarantee. We have, and will have, no plans for a prison on that site.”
Ms Jones said: The Lib Dems know that this is the case. They have deliberately set this story running with no basis of fact whatsoever to substantiate it.
“I have seen a copy of the letter sent to the council by the Ministry of Justice and it does not imply, as the council leader, Ian Marks suggests, that a prison could come to Warrington. He is living in la-la land if he truly believes it does.
“What is more worrying is that this fabricated story could have a detrimental effect on the town. If businesses who may want to locate on Omega or in Warrington believe this unfounded nonsense it could well put them off coming here.
“This cheap political stunt could easily damage the town’s future economic prospects. It seems the Lib Dems do not care so long as they can score what they see as a political goal.
“This council would do better reviving the Omega Strategy Group, which hardly ever meets, and concentrate on promoting the site and bringing investment and business to our town rather than playing silly games.”
As was reported by Warrington-Worldwide on Tuesday, Coun Marks wrote to the Ministry of Justice expressing concern that the Government might have done a U-turn on locating a new prison in Warrington after the borough council had received a letter from the Justice Ministry stating that a new search for a prison site was being made in several regions, including the North West.
The letter added: “As your council/organisation is within one of these regions, I wanted to write to make you aware of this new site search.”
Ms Jones councluded: “Read my lips Coun Marks – Warrington is not going to get a new prison under a Labour government.”