“I’m gonna get lit” Thank you Keir.

Did Starmer not say that no one jailed for violent offences will be released early? If he did, then there’s no excuse for the release of Gordon Gault’s murderer, regardless of who set the sentence.

Mollygo

^The release of one of the murderers of young Gordon Gault after serving only 6 months is absolutely disgusting.^

But his sentence for violent crime was less than the 4 years set by Starmer, so he qualified for early release.

So that's OK then. 4 years for murdering a child. Disgusting.

That was when we left forever- and it was most definitely Ted Heath and the Conservatives at that time. I’m not a Labour voter or a Conservative voter, they are as bad as each other. These days I vote for the individual regardless of party.

janete1956

Labour ALWAYS bring us to our knees I remeber the 70s candles and no electricity.

I thought that was the three day week and Heath was the Tory prime minister.

Sunak should - and could - have acted sooner but chose to dump the tough decisions - which no doubt would have been unpopular too.

No need to bring KS into it - his sentence was less than 4 years, as set by the judge, so there is probably more to it than randoms on GN are privy to.

The 'optics' are bad, I agree, but judges have leeway for a reason, and this one was operating under a Tory regime. There is absolutely no way that KS can be held responsible either for his sentence or his release date. Sunak had plans to release prisoners early too.

The release of one of the murderers of young Gordon Gault after serving only 6 months is absolutely disgusting.

But his sentence for violent crime was less than the 4 years set by Starmer, so he qualified for early release.

I don't want to over-egg it, but this is how Goebbels worked. Plant daft ideas and let the public spread them as truth.

It is scary to watch how easily it can be done.

Yes DD - how half truths get spread as "Fact" without even a reference given to back a statement.

It really is depressing to see how propaganda works in action.

pably15

London mayor Sadiq Khan says that despite a big housing shortage in London, prisoners ought to jump the queue to get housing to avoid them reoffending??? well that will go down well .

He has categorically not said that.

See the first page other thread in GN

www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1340378-Sadiq-Khan-s-latest-brainwave

We'll have to see what the crime rate does, now.

Astonishingly, the prison population has fallen by 2,000 in one week ! And it's all down to Kier!

How many aren't rearrested, though?

Skydancer

They are being released after serving 40% instead of 50% of their sentences. In some cases this means just a few weeks early. There was little option and it is not violent offenders. Nobody panic!

The immediate re arrest, outside Wandworth prison, of a 28 year old on suspicion of sexual assault seems to defy that.The release of one of the murderers of young Gordon Gault after serving only 6 months is absolutely disgusting.
One does wonder at the lack of commonsense amongst those given the job for the decision making, have they got any??
If they hadn't been so hasty in chucking some people in prison instead of hefty fines and community service, they may have been rather more discerning about which criminals they released.
That choice is down to Labour and their Ministry of Justice, no one else.

London mayor Sadiq Khan says that despite a big housing shortage in London, prisoners ought to jump the queue to get housing to avoid them reoffending??? well that will go down well .

albertina, no one from any side of this discussion disputes difficulties will arise from the early release scheme
Of course, the police service will, as always, be front of the queue to pick up the pieces
In the short term, it had to happen, it’s clear if the conservatives had remained in power, they’d had used early release otherwise the police couldnt arrest as there’d be nowhere to hold them

My hope is investment and commitment to improve public services will help long term

My daughter is a police officer and I can say from what I hear, your fears are all quite right.

What can we do about it, that's the question.

Doodledog

I agree that the pension credit level should be higher. I don’t make a connection between that and work expenses though. That’s a false equivalence.

I don’t see it as an equivalence, more factual. If MPs can claim to heat their homes whilst earning what they do, then saying pensioners shouldn't be able to claim is difficult to see as fair.

I agree that the pension credit level should be higher. I don’t make a connection between that and work expenses though. That’s a false equivalence.

Doodledog

I don't understand why people are saying there is an attack on pensioners.

The WFP has been withdrawn, and undoubtedly there are some pensioners who, like some younger people and those of middle age, will struggle to pay bills to privatised energy companies. I wish the government had dealt with it differently.

However, there are other older people who are more concerned about IHT, and who can afford expensive holidays. Taking the payment from them is not an 'attack', and is not in any way I can see 'digging a black hole even deeper'. I don't even know what that means . It seems to me only fair that working towards ensuring that everyone can pay, rather than giving money to a group of people based on age.

If the new energy company succeeds then there will be no need for payments, which is as it should be, and people of all ages will be able to pay without difficulty.

Of course all pensioners should be means tested but the government should up the level in which the pensioners can claim for pension credits.
It’s scandalous that these government ministers can claim HA for second homes.. RR claimed over £3700, that would have paid a dozen pensioners their HA, it’s a poor do if they can’t heat their second homes with the hefty wages they earn.

Allsorts

Its no good building more prisons, its getting to the heart of the matter. You can’t just house people together without rehabilitation. Prison is punishment, losing your freedom and rehabilitation. The woman who went on holiday leaving her 12 year old to go to court aline. What chance has that lad got? Glad the judge fined her £1200. Then you multiply that by thousands, no parenting, no role models in their lives, no one cares so they end in the streets in gangs with knives, also have that many people in this country who we don’t know what or who they are, We are broken. What a brilliant idea fast tracking the rioters and letting rapists and murderers out in exchange, very nice for their victims, don't they matter, its a disgrace Is this how we are to be governed act, then think it out after. Social workers with too heavy work loads frightened to go in to the homes they are sent too, that's the reality. We need more police, less form filling and criticising everything they do, more probation officers and health visitors

Its about time to stop point scoring about your party and look at the realities not blindly sticking up for bad decisions just because you voted for them.

Well put 👏👏👏👏

I can’t follow that, Molly. Are you saying we have to just accept all the moans as justified or shut up? I’m not in government so don’t feel responsible for suggesting anything, but I’m not constantly saying that everything they do is wrong, when sometimes there is no alternative that I can think of.

How can someone think a policy is wrong without knowing what would work better, though?

My posts are not ‘defence posts’. I don’t do knee-jerk thinking. As I’ve said, I do criticise the government when I think they’ve got it wrong. It’s just that I think they have got a lot right.

GrannyGravy13

Iam64 the only thing we can do is moan and/or write to our MP’s, whoever the Government of the day happens to be.

Coming up with suggestions on a forum designed primarily for older folks will hold no sway. Especially as this Government has already shown its contempt to pensioners!

Yes GG13, and posting on here will simply raise another flurry of defence posts, suggesting that this government need protecting, rather than the defenders suggesting ways to deal with situations.

X posted with Doodledog there - I was responding to GG13.

I agree with Doodledog, no surprise there. I despaired as things got worse and worse under the previous government. The current government faces an uphill battle because all our public services have been deliberately run down