Guilty as charged

IT is a reflection of the poor state of contemporary politics that Theresa May is now being widely tipped as a possible successor to David Cameron when many of the Home Secretary’s policies have done little more than paper over the cracks, whether they be on police manpower levels, illegal immigration or human trafficking.

This is borne out by the Centre for Social Justice’s heart-rending report which reveals a “shocking underworld” of human trafficking with the Home Office seemingly powerless – or unwilling – to stop the degrading and humiliating abuse of those under-age children who have been snared by an increasingly evil sex trade.

Yet it is the continuing confusion about the effectiveness of existing laws, and the failure of some police officers, immigration officials and social workers to recognise the scale of the problem, that is even more disturbing.

The Home Office has now rejected the charge of complacency in a statement but many will conclude, with full justification, that Mrs May and her officials are guilty as charged.