Cameron on the defensive

MARGARET Thatcher’s formidable style of government resonated from one defiant speech over economic policy, and the phrase: “You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”

Contrast this with David Cameron. Not a day passes without another embarrassing U-turn, with the Government now beating a hasty retreat on sentencing policy following a public outcry.

Mr Cameron played down the significance of this by saying that it was a sign of “strength and confidence” that the coalition listened.

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It is not. This climbdown could have been avoided if the Government understood the consequences of its reforms from the outset.

It would also have been, potentially, avoided if sentencing policy had been considered in isolation, and not as an integral part of the Ministry of Justice’s budget cuts. For the record, this decision means £130m of savings will have to be identified from other sources.

That said, it was plainly wrong to halve jail terms for those serious offenders who plead guilty at the outset of judicial proceedings. It was abhorrent to victims of crime – a section of society ignored repeatedly by Ministers – and who struggle to come to understand the inconsistencies of plea bargaining. Invariably, a politician’s definition of what constitutes a ‘serious’ offence may not tally with the public’s interpretation.

It is welcome, therefore, that Mr Cameron has used the latest ‘pause’ – inadvertent or otherwise – in this legislation to consider this issue. There needs to be far greater transparency over sentencing, and also the rehabilitation – whether it be in prison or the community – that offenders will be expected to undertake.

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Too many opinions are being formed on the whims of politicians that bear little relation to reality, such as Mr Cameron’s promise that those guilty of all knife crimes will be automatically jailed.

This was never going to happen, given the costs associated with sending even more people to prison. Yet the consequence is a law-abiding majority being offended and bemused by this Government’s mixed messages. For, in light of yesterday’s U-turn, can anyone be certain that sentencing will be both robust, and transparent, under David Cameron?