News / Politics

Justice committee slams UK PM for ‘electioneering tactics’

Thursday, 31 October 2019 1:11 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 31 October 2019 1:18 PM ]

UK PM Boris Johnson

Amid campaign preparations in the UK, the justice committee has condemned Prime Minister Boris Johnson for electioneering tactics, saying his policy on prisons threatens public safety.

Conservative MP Bob Neill said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “policy by press notice” approach on prisons lacked a clear plan and long-term strategy.

Mr. Neill accused the Government of failing to secure appropriate funding to match its series of pledges on the prison system.

“Too often, prisons are identified as needing extra support, but their performance continues to decline… There is little point in identifying poor performance if the necessary resources are not then provided to drive improvement,” Neill highlighted.

Specifically, the MP said that violence would not decrease in prisons without proper investment into rehabilitation and activities for inmates. Downing Street has pledged only £18bn for reoffending inmates.

The committee also noted that the Government has failed to guarantee the necessary infrastructure to avoid further overcrowding.

It further advised that election campaigns political parties are preparing for the 12 December election should provide data to support their pledges in future prison system policies.

“At any rate, given government’s poor track record in building prisons, we now want to see the detailed plans for the promised £2.5bn for 10,000 more places, what they’ll look like and when they’ll be up and running,” Neill added.

In this year’s Queen’s Speech, the government announced a proposed legislative programme dominated by post-Brexit bills and a renewed focus on law and order. It was viewed as the Conservatives’ election manifesto.

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