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		Tory campaign forces police merger delay Sunday, 18th June 2006 Conservatives celebrate success as their campaign forces Government u-turn on police mergers Northamptonshire – Conservatives across Northamptonshire were today celebrating as their campaign to Save Northants Police was successful in forcing a Labour government delay in their controversial plans to merge Northants police with neighbouring counties in favour of an East Midlands super force. The widely unpopular plans were announced by the Home Office earlier in the year and were immediately opposed by local Conservatives determined to keep policing local. Following the launch of the campaign on May 6th, the Save Northants Police website received in excess of 5,000 signatures as angry residents backed Conservative proposals to save the local force. The campaign has also been followed by the distribution of postcards to over 9,000 homes in the county and a series of local press adverts that allow local people to register their opposition to the unpopular plans. Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative MEP for Northamptonshire said: “This is a partial victory but we will keep up the fight until we can be sure that Northants Police is safe from the hands of Labour home secretaries. We will continue to campaign on this to make sure John Reid knows the depth of feeling here in Northants”. Roger Helmer added: “I am delighted to see that the government has finally started to see sense on this issue. But I am astonished at the pig-headed way they keep pressing on with it, against the advice of so many police forces, and in the teeth of public opposition”. Brian Binley, MP for Northampton South who tabled an Early Day motion in the House of Commons against the proposals said: “I am glad that local democracy has achieved a partial victory for this campaign. We will continue to fight these proposals until they are shelved once and for all”. Kettering’s MP, Philip Hollobone said today: “These merger proposals were misconceived from the beginning and the plans will cost us more and given us fewer police officers here in the county. We will continue our fight when these plans return in the autumn.” Tim Boswell, MP for Daventry hailed the success of ‘people power’ in campaign: “Though not an ideal solution, this is a better outcome than would have happened if we had not fought the case on behalf of the people of Northamptonshire”. Peter Bone, MP for Wellingborough said: “I welcome this news. The people of Northamptonshire do not want to see their money being wasted on an East Midlands Super Force. They want more police officers out on the beat, catching criminals and deterring crime”. Cllr Jim Harker, Leader of Northamptonshire County Council said today: “The Government has signalled that its initial enthusiasm for the amalgamation of police forces might have been a little hasty. This is therefore good news as our message is obviously getting through. But John Reid has only talked about postponing the mergers and not shelving them completely so we will keep up our campaign”. David Mackintosh, Chairman of Northampton North Conservatives and coordinator of the campaign said: “We welcome this move by the Home Secretary as 5,000 people across the county have said they want to keep our police force local. However, we will continue our campaign until the Home Secretary announces he is scrapping these proposals once and for all. We don’t want to see these plans re-appear again in the Autumn. Throughout the county people were very angry at these proposals which would have cost up to £600 million. People want to see that money spent on frontline policing and fighting crime here in Northants”.