Last night The Telegraph reported on two additional pieces of highly suspect 2025 guidance in the justice system, this time from the Probation Service:
The Ministry of Justice’s official response to that is to say: “These guidelines were first brought in under the last government. This Government will ensure equality in the courts.” Meanwhile on the guidance Labour “pointed to its origins under the Tories in 2016.” Neither bit of spin adds up…
There is no mention of trauma from racism or discrimination in the previous Probation Service pre-sentencing report guidance from 2021 or 2016. Neither is there mention of the need to take into account the “culture” of the offender. Not the ‘last government,’ then…
Guidance for issuing bail to minorities also pre-dates the last government. As early as 2007 bail guidance was set out in New Labour’s “Bail Information Scheme” to “prioritise women, BME and vulnerable prisoners.” Not the ‘last government,’ then…
Labour’s spin operation is clearly running a little loose as it becomes increasingly clear that on its watch two-tier justice is advancing in earnest. At midnight tonight those new Sentencing Council rules come into effect unimpeded by the government…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”