It was brilliant to meet Rob, Dave and Sam, who work at the Rowheath Pavilion in Bournville. I had a wonderful time, as I was given a guided tour of the facilities and I had a very in depth conversation over a coffee with the CEO of Rowheath Pavilion, Rob Halcrow. We discussed the challengesContinue reading Pride and Purpose at the Pavilion
For King Charles it was the first King’s Speech in 70 years and for Rishi Sunak his last chance to show he understands the issues facing the British people and, after 13 years of Tory government, can address them. I wanted targets for house building, affordable social housing, and a law that all new buildContinue reading Was it worth the wait?
Under the Tories knife crime has been allowed to spiral out of control. Knife crime as a whole is up by 70% from 2015. According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people killed with a knife is at its highest for 76 years. The Tories have not done enough to tackle knifeContinue reading My Response to Minister About Tory Record on Knife Crime
At a time when we have a Prime Minister whose parents are from the Punjab, a First Minister and Labour leader in Scotland with parents of Pakistani origin, and a Home Secretary with Indian heritage, one might conclude that Britain is fast becoming a model of diversity. Yet last weekend, campaigners were forced to takeContinue reading Rising Hate Crime
In a TV debate last week, I almost fell off the chair when the Tory MP claimed hers was the party of law and order. Recorded crime has hit a 20 year high, with over 6.3 million crimes but a mere 5.6% resulting in prosecution. One of the more sickening statistics is that only 1.3%Continue reading Crime: Turn Back Time
The new Home Secretary’s been having a go at the police. She says she’ll make them attend the home of every victim of burglary. It sounds like a crowd pleaser on first hearing but, as a policeman friend of mine pointed out, even if they drop everything else, current resources suggest it would mean aboutContinue reading It’s a bit rich from Suella
The Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak – Steve McCabe MP – critiqued the Government’s forthcoming legislative agenda for failing to address the key issues affecting the West Midlands. Speaking in last Monday’s Queen’s Speech debate in the House of Commons, the Birmingham MP highlighted the absence of a number of key topics from the programme including the lack of a plan toContinue reading Birmingham MP brands Queen’s Speech a ‘Missed Opportunity’
There’s a fine line between oversight, in a democracy, and interference in operational police decisions, especially if it benefits the interests of those in power. I was surprised to hear cabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng dismiss fraud as not being real crime. He was speaking after the UK Statistics Authority criticised the Prime Minister for claimingContinue reading It was wrong to overlook fraud
This week Parliament discussed neighbourhood policing. It took me back to my old boss Charles Clarke who, as Home Secretary in 2005, wanted to increase police numbers and lower costs by reshaping and reducing the overall number of forces. He’d received a report from Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary arguing that the existing structure wasn’tContinue reading 2-tier police force could patrol our streets and fight organised crime
There was a statement in Parliament on rape offences earlier this week. The Justice Secretary expressed sorrow at the news that in only 1.6% of rape cases is someone charged. He then toured TV studios saying it was nothing to do with him and objecting to criticism from Labour. The Ministry of Justice budget includesContinue reading Rape cases hurt by cuts
