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Happy together ... father Garry with, from left, his
daughters Amy, Zoe and Danielle, and wife Helen
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Jacqui Smith - providing bail to violent
offenders
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BA038 Heathrow - Crash Landing |
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Tony Blair has taken a part-time job with
one of Wall Street's biggest banks.
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Is
Gordon heading for a crash landing?
21st January 2008
The Daily Mail
www.dailymail.co.uk
By Peter McKay
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was asked on TV yesterday if
she could say anything to reassure Helen Newlove, whose husband,
Garry, was kicked to death by a gang of teenagers whom he'd
tried to prevent vandalising his car.
The ringleader, Adam Swellings, 19, was on bail after
admitting carrying out seven previous offences.
Ms Smith
said the system for which she's responsible is making 'structural
changes' and 'responding to concerns'.
She sought desperately to give the impression that everything
was under control but Ian Trigger, a judge in Liverpool,
says the Government's insistence on providing bail to violent
offenders means we now live in a society "bedevilled
by feral youths".
We know who is responsible for trouble in our streets
but we can't stop them. Our jails are full. Civil liberties
campaigners already complain that we lock up too many young
people. And non-custodial solutions don't work.
The Government could tell householders affected to band
together and confront the people terrorising their neighbourhoods
but it would be accused of encouraging vigilante-ism.
They could use the Army against street rowdies in our
worst cities and towns but we don't have many spare troops,
the police wouldn't like it and that would also be an admission
of defeat.
What we need is a better Government, one which lifts the
sights and standards of everyone, rich and poor alike.
We're now at the fag end of New Labour, which began, you'll
remember, with the adman's lie about being "tough
on crime, tough on the causes of crime".
Its leader, Tony Blair, is off making his fortune with
an American bank and other moneymaking enterprises. Nothing
responds to Government action now - not the economy, not
the health system, not our transport network, not the
criminal justice system.
Living under Gordon Brown's Government is like being on
a plane after the engines have died, like BA038 approaching
Heathrow. Can he get it over the airport perimeter fence
before pancaking into a full recession and crisis of confidence?
Your Opinion: Lyneham
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