Priti 4 Witham

Although I am out of the country on holiday, the shocking murder of Rhys Jones has really brought home just how brutalised and broken our society has become. Since January 2007 there have been 18 murders (shootings and stabbings) of juveniles in Britain. Overseas the perception of Britain is that it has become the new Wild West with the increase of firearm and knife offences reflecting a genuine disregard by criminals of human life. Gang culture that perceives itself to be above the law has been allowed to thrive on our streets due to our pathetic laws and claims that our police are too over stretched to respond to increasing levels of gang related disorder. Social breakdown and violent crime are booming across Britain which off course is a world away from that ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ vision promised by Labour all those years ago. Although I do not have the answer on how to reverse this trend, it seems clear to me that w e need to end the culture of individuals having ‘rights’ whilst abdicating all forms of responsibility. Parental love and responsibility can help to prevent the making of young criminals, as can a strengthened criminal justice system with deterrents such as automatic jail sentences for the possession of a weapon, along with life sentences (and no exceptions) and capital punishment for the most abhorrent crimes. Young people need boundaries and an understanding of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. The state can no longer solve the problem of violent crime on its own. Families and individuals have a significant role to play in helping to mend our broken society. They need to recognise that ‘rights’ bring a responsibility to wider society and can help to create the stable communities which we would all like to live in.

I’ve just caught a glimpse of the Governor of California, yes, Arnie himself arriving at No 10 to talk about climate change with Blair. Amusingly, Arnie was sporting a rather dashing green tie, not too dissimilar to that striking green tie we often see worn by David Cameron. While I am all for ‘talks’ on issues of climate change – a fitting subject in light of the unseasonal weather that has gripped the UK, I could not help but wish that Blair would ask the Terminator himself for some words of wisdom on how to tackle one of Blair’s areas of failure – law and order. In light of the recent stabbings and shootings that have gripped the streets of Britain, I hope that Arnie will be back, to give us all a flavour on how the hard man himself would get tough on crime and the causes of crime.

After what has been a week of significant political change (of leaders: Labour and policy direction: Tory), unusually I have taken some comfort from a Home Office report that has reached the conclusion that stiff prison sentences deter crime. Off course this government is famously soft on crime and its causes and it has failed to comment on the report, in fact it looks like they have tried to bury it. Which is why my hero’s of the day are Philip Davies MP for uncovering the report and also David Davis MP our Shadow Home Secretary for telling it how it is; ‘building more cells would ensure victims get justice and that the public are protected, as well as giving prisoners a real chance at rehabilitation – helping to reduce crime long term’.

Good to see that common sense in our Party is still alive and well…….