Compare and contrast: title of policy: Cutting Crime by Catching Criminals.
Headline in Telegraph: Chris Huhne: Jailing criminals is not the answer
Well done Telegraph for engaging in the debate in such a rational and mature way.
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It’s a fair five word summary of our policy though.
Catching more criminals doesn’t mean sending more to jail.
True – but that element of the policy is established policy that not up for discussion this year, and we got all those sorts of media hits in the year we discussed it. Why not comment on the bits that changed this time, rather then hop back onto the “prison is the only language they understand” bandwagon?
But they were writing about his keynote speech – so I think “covering” our whole policy is fair game.
But note the quote marks 🙂
Chris Huhne has not only spent the iD card cancellation windfall again (already spent on the tax cut and a dozen other schemes) but also fibbed about crimes and criminals (1%?) and been at best confusing on tough on crime, or er not tough on crime.
Chris, is it being tough on crime or the causes of it to let criminals rot, languishing without the support to help them integrate society by creating a productive life for themselves?
Is is sensible to permanently stigmatise those convicted of actions they could have and maybe would have avoided by denying them support, and is it likely that we will prevent their reoffending by doing so?
Break the vicious circle of crime, or perpetuate it? It’s a simple choice.