Labour

Ken Clarke is completely out of touch on crime and justice - Khan

Sadiq Khan MP, Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary, said in response to Ken Clarke's speech to Conservative Party conference:

“Ken Clarke and the Tories are completely out of touch on crime.

“Nowhere in his speech did he mention that on his watch the prison population has surged to a record high while the Tories are cancelling prison building, cutting spending on prisons by 83 per cent and are cutting police numbers by 16,000.

“Labour believes in punishment and reform in prisons, meaningful work opportunities for offenders and that prisoners are forced to pay reparations to victims of crime. But while Clarke was heavy on rhetoric he was light on detail.

“Given that the Government is struggling to create jobs outside of prisons, how on earth are they proposing to create them in prisons? It is critical that jobs are not taken away from the law-abiding majority and that Ken Clarke explains how he will provide the resources required to supervise 1-in-4 prisoners spending greater amounts of time outside of their cells. This is particularly acute when the Ministry of Justice budget is being cut by 23 per cent, with thousands of frontline prison and probation officers losing their jobs.

“Ken Clarke failed to explain to the public how he intends to reduce crime, make our communities safer and keep prisons secure. He demonstrated that he is out of touch with the needs of the British public.”