Yet again Brown's vision appears to be whatever the Tories suggest. He waited ten years to get into power and he hasn't got a clue what to do now he is there.
Change cannot come quickly enough.

David, Hull,

It all sounds very childish and rather pathetic if I'm honest . But at least you commentators now how to score it ...

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

It is utterly ridiculous to say the current UK Governemnt has done nothing about crime. Look around the major developed countries and you will see a very similar picture for the causes and levels of crime. I can assure anybody, having lived in the UK fo 40 years, that the UK poilce are pro-active in their policing and generally perform their task professionally. Not somthing that can always be said here.

Cameron's tactitcs of attacking single example of procedural 'inefficiency e.g. stop and search forms is nothing more than a TV gimic. Any Government anywhere can be accussed on inefficient procedures, right up to the point when they're removed and with them the safe guards, in this case for both police and public. Democracy and the Law are not efficient. Cameron knows it but has nothing of substance to attack. Brown may be B team, Cameron is certainly C team.

Ian, Toronto, Canada

Have we not been here before? "Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime! As always, much rhetoric, absolutely no substance. Posturing for posturing's sake!

R.B., Leicester,

David Cameron exists only to be a thorn on the side of Gordon Brown. If he were given the opportunity to become the PM, I am sure he will sit quietly sucking his thumb without knowing how to run the government. He just talks big and wants to oppose anything and everything the Labour government does. He doesn't have the personality to execute what he yells.

Ashwin Rao, Bristol,

Per capita more blacks and minorities get stabbed / killed. There's even a special unit to investigate black on black crime.

But to dare to target likely offenders is something that people are afraid to do, even in the face of such evidence as knife deaths.

Richard, London, England

So what is the protection against a "capricious" police officer who just doesn`t like your - hair, clothes,"look", the way you are walking, "being in possession of an offensive wife" to quote NTNOCN, or who just feels like being a little Napoleon because they can. Sorry, but if I was stopped/searched, I`d expect full and valid reasons to be given and paperwork completed. What recourse will you have as regards any abuse of power if they can stop you, search you and then tell you to "go away", just because they feel like it. There must be accountability (and not jumping 200 feet in the air through 15 hoops to get it). Might as well say the police can do whatever they want - (all for our own good of course) - and no validation or paperwork!!!!!!. Brilliant. Stalin would be proud.

Jim, Herts,

This is yet ANOTHER example of this awful Labour government and their copy-cat tactics.

They are tired and ran out of their own practical solutions long ago. I can only hope the rest of the country agrees that we are tired them.

BenG, London, UK

If only we could have some real tough,even brutal,action rather than pious debates which lead to nothing.
The country is falling apart from violence and noone does anything.
Political point scoring is all that matters and each day the country gets a little worse to live in. How we got to this point I just do not know.
Frankly I despair. I will not be coming back.

nic, royan, france

Not really peter BUT ...do you believe dave?when he worked for carlton tv he was not a popular chap because he was seen as a yes man and even jeff randall the now business editor for sky thought dave never told the truth and the editor of the suns business pages at the time said he was "SLIMEY" so i will not fall daves "SALESMAN" tactics at all.The tories need a man like DAVE but davies and not cameron.

lance, Portbury, North Somerset

IF the Government really wanted to make it easier for the police to stop people in the street and question, they can easily do it.

The fact remains that Labour governments do not trust the police and are, in large part, opposed to them on principle. Just look at the current pay debacle for an example.

Matt, Bristol,

Of course, the real difference is that the Conservatives are in opposition and trying to present policies to attract the electorate, whereas the Government have already been in power for 11 years and done nothing. Why should we trust the Government to do something now that they have conspicuously failed to do for the last decade? Their only real achievement is to reach new heights of incompetance, lies and spin.

Simon Newark, Sidcup,

What the Government discusses is not the point. what they actually do is what matters and it seems they are only now considering changing the stop and search rules because the Tories have put it forward.

Brown's whole stratergy seems to be to do nothing but react to Tory proposals. It appears that it is Bottler Brown who has no policies rather than Cameron.

Andrew Williams, Stockton-on_Tees,

Jenny

Come on! do you REALLY believe Gordon Brown's government when they say "Well, Actually that is what the Cabinet discussed today".

Peter, London,