Campaigning Conservatives have chalked up yet another success. As a result of continued pressure from Conservatives, the Government has finally agreed to shelve plans to re-organise police forces.
The hugely unpopular plans would have seen West Mercia Police merged into a regional West Midlands Police Force and that would have meant vital local resources being moved away from Wyre Forest.
Mark Garnier and his local Conservative colleagues collected a petition of 2,500 names of Wyre Forest residents opposed to the changes. That petition was delivered to Conservative Shadow Home Secretary David Davis to be handed directly to the Government.
David Davis said of the petition: "I am very grateful to Mark and the Wyre Forest Conservatives for gathering this petition. It helps me to make the point that the Government is completely out of touch with local opinion and I can say that this petition has helped force the Government to see sense."
Mark Garnier added: "I would like to thank all Wyre Forest residents who have helped us by signing our petition. This shows how we can all work together to let common sense prevail."
Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire Peter Luff has called for Government ministers to be charged under section 5 (2) of the Criminal law Act 1967 for the offence of wasting police time. He has also called for assurances that West Mercia Police will be safe from any further attacks by the Government.
Earlier this year, new Home Secretary John Read famously declared that after 9 years of Labour administration, the Home Office was "unfit for purpose".