Fly-tippers to get points on driving licences and nuisance tenants will be kicked out under Tory plans
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People caught fly-tipping will get points on their driving licences if the Conservatives win the next general election.
Rishi Sunak will make the announcement on Friday as part of his party’s election campaign, promising to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
Other measures will include a new “three strikes and you’re out” system for nuisance social housing tenants and the rolling out of its “hot spot” policing programme across England and Wales to increase patrolling in the worst affected areas.
The prime minister said the “bold action” would “stop anti-social behaviour in its tracks”.
But Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the policies were “more empty words from a chaotic Tory Party” which had “let anti-social behaviour run rampant” while in power.
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Fly-tipping is already illegal and can see people facing a fine of £1,000. But the Conservatives said their “no tolerance” approach would mean offenders could end up losing their licences or even in prison due to the points being added.
For anti-social tenants, the party said local authorities and housing associations would be “expected” to evict tenants after three proven instances of anti-social behaviour.
And the policing programme would copy a pilot the government has run in 10 areas, which it said led to nearly 800 arrests, close to 2,000 stop and searches and almost 1,000 uses of anti-social behaviour powers, such as community protection notices and public protection orders.
Pic: iStock
“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their neighbourhood and a sense of pride in the place they call home,” Mr Sunak will say.
“The Conservatives are the only ones with a clear plan to ensure safety, security and prosperity in your local community and your high street.
“We will take the bold action needed to crack down on fly-tipping, evict nuisance tenants and stop anti-social behaviour in its tracks so we can build a secure future for everyone across the whole country.”
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But Ms Cooper claimed there had been more than one million fly-tipping incidents in the last year alone, “yet the Tories repeatedly failed to implement their own policies and promises”.
She added: “Who does Rishi Sunak think is going to enforce any action on anti-social behaviour when the Tories have cut 10,000 neighbourhood police and PCSOs in the last eight years?
“Labour will take back our streets from those piling misery onto our communities. We’ll put 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat, with tough new powers to crackdown on those who cause havoc on our high streets, and a mission to reverse the collapse in the number of crimes being solved.”
The Liberal Democrats’ local government spokesperson Helen Morgan accused the Tories of “effectively legalising littering” during their tenure, saying fines were “so low that people are being let off scot-free up and down the country”.
She added: “The Conservatives have had years to get tough on fly-tippers and litterers but have failed at every turn.
“The Liberal Democrats are calling for real action against fly-tippers by increasing fines and using the profits to crack down on this anti-social crime.”
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While the Tories focus on tackling crime, Labour will make a pledge to get started on their Great British Energy plan “within months” of taking office.
First announced at the party’s conference in 2022, the publicly-owned company will focus on green renewable energy, such as wind and solar, in an attempt to cut bills and make the country self-reliant.
Elsewhere, the SNP will make a fresh demand on Labour if they win power – calling on them to commit to an emergency budget immediately after the election to “reverse Tory austerity cuts, boost NHS funding, and invest in economic growth”.
