Gordon Brown's visit shows Labour desperation in Oldham East and Saddleworth

10.44.39am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th Apr 2010

Commenting on Gordon Brown's visit to Oldham today, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth Elwyn Watkins said:

"This just goes to show that the race in Oldham East and Saddleworth is one of the closest in the country between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, as Labour have admitted this morning."

"It also goes to show just how out of touch Labour is in Oldham East and Saddleworth. To hear Gordon Brown talk about guaranteeing police numbers at a time when Greater Manchester Police may be cutting the number of officers by 300 is astonishing and shows that Labour has no idea about what is happening on the ground, even though the Labour chair of the Police Authority was sat in the audience.

"This visit is also evidence of Phil Woolas' slavish devotion to the party line and to Mr Brown - he voted with them almost all of the time, whether it was to close local post offices or increase taxes for the poorest. Now Mr Brown is repaying that betrayal with a visit.

"The people of Oldham East and Saddleworth are not daft. They know that Labour has failed on crime and they know that Mr Woolas has slavishly followed his party line at the expense of local people.

"If I meet Gordon Brown today in Oldham, I will certainly be challenging him about police numbers in our area this year."

Liberal Democrat policies would see an extra 155 officers on the streets of Greater Manchester.