KENNEDY: POPULIST TALK MASKS LABOUR'S CRIME FAILURE

12.11.46pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 16th Nov 2004

In a keynote speech to Liberal Democrat activists at the National Liberal Club, Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, set out to explain new Liberal Democrat thinking on crime issues - as well as to debunk some of the Labour myths about crime. 

He highlighted Liberal Democrat plans to strengthen Anti-Social Behaviour Orders with new ASBO PLUS proposals, cut prison re-offending rates by making prisons both punish and rehabilitate and to institute measures to place the victims at the centre of community justice.

On Labour's record, Mr. Kennedy said:

"The Government has been tough on rhetoric, but weak on solutions.  Its approach is piecemeal, knee-jerk, headline chasing, focusing on the symptoms - the criminals - at the expense of sound policies aimed at tackling the disease - crime itself.

"Moral outrage is always a powerful political tool.  But by creating a climate of fear, and stoking public anger; by ratcheting up the rhetoric and then resorting to gimmicky quick fix solutions, Labour seeks to deflect the real debate about how to deal with crime, security, law and order.

"The real, effective solutions to crime are liberal solutions - punishment and rehabilitation. But action to tackle re-offending, or to guide those headed for a life of crime into lawful productive lives, is certainly not a soft option, in fact it is not an option at all. It is essential if we are going to reduce crime. That is tough liberalism."

Launching the policy of ASBO PLUS, Mr. Kennedy said:

"ASBO PLUS is a direct challenge to Tony Blair and David Blunkett.  Punishment and prevention.

"Anti-Social Behaviour Orders have been successful in many communities in providing short-term relief.  But unless there is also a strategy for changing the behaviour of offenders, we either push the problem behind closed doors, or shunt it from one community to another.

"That's why Liberal Democrats are now calling for ASBO PLUS. Where there is a need for an ASBO, you issue it. But it must only be used in conjunction with action to tackle the underlying causes of these problems.

"Youth workers to sort out attitudes and to divert them into positive activities.  Social workers to encourage families to pull together.  Drug workers to tackle substance misuse.  Education and training for those who are excluded from school or unemployed."

On Community Justice, Mr. Kennedy said:

"Community Justice Panels - made up of victims and volunteers from the local community - are potentially an effective way of modifying behaviour.

"Offenders arrested for minor crimes like graffiti, vandalism or being drunk and disorderly would be given a choice - go to court in the normal way and face a criminal record, or go before a panel of local people.  The offender would be expected to explain and apologise for his actions, and agree to a programme of work or reparation to make amends for the damage he has done.  Where the offence affected individual victims rather than the community as a whole, the offender would be expected to compensate them.

"The scheme would give the public an unprecedented say in the way that local crime problems are dealt with, as well as offering offenders a way to pay back for the harm they have done to their community." 

On cutting re-offending rates, Mr Kennedy said:

"In our over crowded prisons, suicides rates are at an all time high; and re-offending levels are running at 59% overall, with a depressing 71% re-offending rate for 18-21 year olds. If the Blunkett tactics are failing, what's the alternative?

"One obvious answer is to provide offenders with the skills and the qualifications they need to go straight when they get out. 

"It is an appalling truth that half of all our prisoners have the skills of an 11-year-old in reading; two-thirds have the skills of an 11-year-old in numeracy; and a staggering four-fifths in writing.  Too many cannot write a CV, operate a computer or conduct themselves in an interview.

"Let's get them out of their cells and into the prison classrooms and workshops.  Indeed we could link such a regime to early-release schemes as a practical incentive to learn.  It is certainly likely to have a greater dividend in the long term than simply reserving a cell for when they return."