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Layla Moran has put this very well:
Today it’s still the law for rough sleepers to be arrested and prosecuted for the crime of not being able to afford a roof over their head. It’s a moral outrage that a Victorian-era law continues to punish those who desperately need help.
The clock is ticking for this Government. We urgently need a more compassionate and holistic approach to ending homelessness in this country. There is significant cross-party support for the Vagrancy Act to be repealed as a first step – why doesn’t Robert Jenrick act?
We’re urging the Government to include a commitment to scrap the Act in the Queen’s Speech. If they fail to do that and push this back even further, it will deal a massive blow to our cross-party attempts to make this happen. Jenrick must publish his review, work with us and scrap the Act once and for all.
* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
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One Comment
I have come to the belief that one sign of a failing policy is when the punishment is inflicted on the victim rather than the guilty. Often this is because the victims are more visible and easily identified.
The Vagrancy Act is example of this; policies towards addicts of some drugs are another.