Letter: Policing row

I NOTICE from Labour's justice spokesperson that his latest claim is that Labour councils have been recruiting police officers. This is an incredible claim as no council actually employs policemen and recruitment is a matter for chief constables.

It is all the more lacking in credibility since the driving force behind attempts to cut police officers in Strathclyde was the Labour councillors on the police board. In addition, their policy in 2007 was zero extra police officers.

This latest example of Labour's justice spokesperson making statements that don't meet reality joins other examples such as the time he claimed the European Court was an agency of the European Union - it's not.

These examples of fundamental mistakes beg the question of whether Richard Baker is fully aware of how the justice system works? They also beg the question of why Labour has not pledged to protect the number of police officers in Scotland, unlike the SNP?

STEWART MAXWELL MSP

Member of the Scottish Parliament's justice committee