I believe that a safe, strong and stable borough will lead to a more thriving local community. I want to create an environment where residents can live and work feeling safe and secure.

Under the previous Labour government crime reduced dramatically in the local area. Initiatives such as the Tower Hamlets Safer Neighbourhood Teams, introduced by Labour, contributed to six successive years of crime reduction in the borough.

But under the Conservative- led government, we saw a 20% cut to policing between 2010 and 2012, putting pressure on both front-line and community policing. There are now 163 fewer uniformed officers in our local borough than when the government came to power in 2010. Despite a 9% increase in crime over this period, we face the prospect of further cuts still to come.

These cuts create real challenges in Bethnal Green and Bow, where too many people still feel unsafe on the streets and in their own homes because of anti-social behaviour and drugs-related activity.

As your Member of Parliament I am campaigning against cuts to front-line policing, and I am working in partnership with local people to seek effective initiatives to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

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