Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has decided finally to take control of the guidelines imposed by the Sentencing Council. Six months after the issue first flared up…
Labour is congratulating itself this morning for the move. Shabana said: “Individual sentencing decisions will always be the responsibility of the independent judiciary – and this is something I will staunchly defend.” The Justice Secretary and lady chief justice will have veto powers over future guidelines. The release conveniently ignores that this could have been done when there was bespoke legislation six months ago. Pushed into it…
The changes will be in the Sentencing Bill landing in the Commons today. Is this all they had for the first week back grid?
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”