Scrapping of Vagrancy Act next year landmark moment, say homelessness charities
The Vagrancy Act, introduced in 1824 for punishment of 'idle and disorderly persons, and rogues and vagabonds, in England', is to be repealed by spring next year, the Government has confirmed.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, said Labour is 'drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society'.
The law was brought in to deal with rising homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution and modern-day homeless charities have long called for it to be scrapped.
Campaigners said criminalising the most vulnerable has never been the answer and instead homelessness needs to be properly addressed through support for people who end up sleeping rough.
Figures published in April showed the number of people classed as living on the streets in London had risen by more than a third (38%) year-on-year to 706 from 511.
According to the latest Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) statistics, the total number recorded as sleeping rough in the capital was 4,427 for the three months to March 2025, which was a near-8% increase from 4,118 for the same quarter last year.
Ms Rayner said: 'No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.'
Homelessness minister Rushanara Ali described the 'archaic' Act as 'neither just nor fit for purpose'.
She added: 'Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.'
The Government said new 'targeted measures will ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe – filling the gap left over by removing previous powers', and will be brought in through
amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.
These will be new offences of facilitating begging for gain and trespassing with the intention of committing a crime.
The Government said this will ensure organised begging – often facilitated by criminal gangs – remains an offence, meaning it is unlawful for anyone to organise others to beg by, for example, driving them places to do so.
Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: 'This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety.'
He praised the Government for having 'shown such principled leadership in scrapping this pernicious Act'.
He said: 'We hope this signals a completely different approach to helping people forced onto the streets and clears the way for a positive agenda that is about supporting people who desperately want to move on in life and fulfil their potential. We look forward to assisting the UK Government with their forthcoming homelessness strategy to do exactly that.'
St Mungo's chief executive Emma Haddad said the Act's repeal 'cannot come soon enough' and called for a 'focus on tackling the health, housing and wider societal issues that are causing homelessness in the first place'.
Youth homelessness charity Centrepoint warned that a challenge will be 'ensuring that proposed amendments don't have the unintended consequences of punishing people instead of supporting them'.
Balbir Kaur Chatrik, the charity's director of policy and prevention, said: 'Criminalising the most vulnerable was never an effective solution and we look forward to working with the Government on its ending homelessness strategy to ensure people in this position are supported, not punished going forward.'
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Glasgow Times
6 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
We ask the Apprentice Boys of Derry what they stand for
For some, it is a celebration of culture history and identity for others, it is a display of bigotry and sectarianism better left in the past. The Apprentice Boys of Derry held their biggest Scottish parade of the year in Larkhall with more than 50 associated clubs, each with a band, taking to the streets, with many more following or watching from the side. READ NEXT:Rachel Reeves says Labour will end use of hotels for asylum seekers The Glasgow Times was invited by the organisation to come along and speak to its leaders to find out what it is all about. Larkhall's streets were decked out in red, white and blue for the day with Union flags hanging from lampposts, windows and in gardens along the route. Late morning in Birkenshaw Park, the parade was assembling, with groups from Glasgow, Lanarkshire and beyond. Men are meeting and greeting, shaking hands, dressed in suits and crimson collarettes, carrying white gloves and bowler hats. (Image: Colin Mearns) The flutes and drums were starting to be heard from the bands, the same bands that accompany Orange Order parades. (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT:Rise in suspected drug deaths in Glasgow so far this year David Hoey, general secretary of the Associated Clubs of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, was in demand, being introduced to members from around Scotland. (Image: Colin Mearns) We asked him what the purpose of the organisation is, which has 52 branch clubs in Scotland and many in Glasgow, and what the parade is all about. He answered that it is 'principally, a historical, commemorative organisation.' He said: 'The organisation has as its main purpose to celebrate the siege of Derry and the brave 13, but particularly the two big events are: the shutting of the gates, which is usually December when the Gates of Londonderry were closed against the forces of King James and then the relief of Derry when the city was finally relieved after 105 day siege in August.' 'That,' he said, 'is the primary purpose'. Not everyone, however, can join and commemorate this historic event. Mr Hoey explains: 'The criteria for membership is male and Protestant.' 'In terms of local areas, people would have to know each other and be invited, or apply and they would have to be known. 'But other than that, there's no particular criteria.' The male-only element, he said, is a support network, a place for men to come together and help one another. Mr Hoey said: 'It's a good place to meet. I keep telling people when they ask about it being male, it's the biggest men's shed organisation available because men get together, they meet. 'We're getting a remarkable number of young members into the organisation now and I think they're in where they can get people they can learn from. He added: 'They can learn skills. You have to run an organisation, you get positions on committee. You organise some of the events, and you get some of the young people involved. 'So, it's very much people coming together to try and organise and to help each other.' (Image: Colin Mearns) As well as organising parades, he said branch clubs rea active in the community and fundraise for their benevolent fund. Asked what they do when not on parade, Mr Hoey joked they are "organising the next one". He added: "There's a lot of activity, but everything is really geared to the big days. "There's occasionally a church service, but it's predominantly for those two big days." The events from 1689 being celebrated, he said, are still relevant today. (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) Mr Hoey said: 'I think it's largely identity and place, so it gives people a sense of belonging. 'There are a lot of the characteristics of those who were besieged, I think form the identity of the Protestant loyalist culture, if you like. 'And that's what people identify, the determination, the resilience, the preparedness to basically stick it out, but also to create dialogue, to try and change things as well. 'And we're very, very keen that we work outside.' The other exclusive criteria, the Protestant only rule, has led to claims of sectarianism and accusations of being anti-catholic. Mr Hoey said such claims are rooted in ignorance and said he and his organisation is willing to have dialogue to prevent any flashpoints at parades. (Image: Colin Mearns) The Larkhall parade passed with no incident but in Glasgow, there have been protests, particularly around passing a specific Roman Catholic church, and previously in Northern Ireland, there was well well-documented, high-profile, sustained and violent confrontation. Mr Hoey said: 'I think the biggest opposition comes from the people who are most ignorant of what it's all about and imagine some offence or imagine that it's against them. 'It's really not. It's for us.' On the anti-catholic accusation, he added: 'People who want to say that don't want the parades to happen and they're basically throwing or projecting sectarianism onto the parades, but they have no basis for saying that. 'This is a culture. It is on parade. It's not trying to offend anybody. It's simply walking down a very long street and being out and saying we are the association. 'We are remembering a very important part of British history and that is what the day is about. 'It's not about others or offending or anything else. It's about the identity of those people and saying this is us, we're out here having a good day with our brothers, with our friends, with our families watching.' He used the example of Northern Ireland to illustrate how communities can work together. Mr Hoey said: 'The association, 25 years ago, was the first to engage outside of itself, you know, to go to go into the Parades Commission, to work with the local community, to work with the business community because we had a really bad time with violent opposition in Londonderry and there was no violence back. 'Our approach was to engage, and I know here in Scotland the SAC (Scottish Amalgamated Committee) has been working closely with the Centre for Good Relations, again to try and open up avenues of dialogue. 'People say 'the other' but there are lots of communities in Scotland now.' They are, he said, willing to 'work in formal channels' and 'open up' as far as possible. He added, however, there are always people who just don't want you there, and it's very hard to talk to people who simply are impractically opposed and don't want to talk.' The approach in Northern Ireland, he said, took a long time but has worked but he said it is an ongoing process. He added: "We have kept working ever since because you can never stop on that process. Stopping is the worst thing you could do.' He said the willingness to engage must be a two-way process, adding: "You can do your best to reach out. But you know you hold out your hand, but if. Someone doesn't. Want to shake it's not our job to make them.'
Spectator
12 minutes ago
- Spectator
Could Donald Trump scrap Aukus?
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As (Defense) Secretary (Pete) Hegseth has made clear, this means ensuring the highest readiness of our service members, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defence, and that the defence industrial base is meeting our needs. This review will ensure the initiative meets these common sense, America First criteria.' Colby himself has been ambivalent about Aukus ever since it was established by Biden, and then Australian and British prime ministers, Scott Morrison and Rishi Sunak, in 2021. Addressing a Policy Exchange forum last year, Colby said he was 'quite sceptical' about the Aukus pact, and questioned its viability and ultimate benefits. In a more recent interview with the Australian newspaper, Colby said Aukus's Pillar 1 – the nuclear submarine programme under which Australia would purchase several Virginia-class boats, pending the acquisition of new generation UK-Australian Acute-class submarines – is 'very problematic'. He did say, however, that Pillar 2 – the sharing of military intelligence and technical know-how between the partners – 'is great, no problem'. Colby's long-standing concern is the US's ability to take on China if it ever comes to conflict in the Asia-Pacific, especially over Taiwan. 'How are we supposed to give away nuclear attack submarines in the years of the window of potential conflict with China?' he told the Australian. 'A nuclear attack submarine is the most important asset for a western Pacific fight, for Taiwan, conventionally. But we don't have enough, and we're not going to have enough.' If this is the starting position for Colby's review, its scepticism contradicts the steadfast commitment to Aukus from the current Australian and British Labour governments. Indeed, Britain's latest Strategic Defence Review places high priority on the Aukus partnership as an integral element of British strategic and force planning. Given Colby's previous form on Aukus, the review may well recommend scaling back or discontinuing the nuclear submarine Aukus pillar. But that would be a strategic disaster for Australia and Britain, let alone for Colby's own strategic vision, outlined in his 2021 book, of an 'anti-hegemonic coalition to contain the military ambitions of China', in which he specifically envisioned Australia. Arguably, it doesn't matter which country mans the attack nuclear submarines assigned to the Asia-Pacific theatre, as long as the boats are there. But will Colby see it that way? In Australia, however, the administration's announcement immediately set a cat amongst the pigeons. Currently, Australia spends just over two per cent of GDP on defence, and the Trump administration, including Colby, is pressuring on Australia to do far more. This month, Hegseth, told his Australian counterpart that Australia should be committing at least 3.5 per cent of GDP to ensure not just Aukus, but that her fighting personnel and ageing military hardware are fit for purpose and contributing commensurately to the Western alliance. After his face-to-face meeting with Hegseth, Australian defence minister Richard Marles seemed open to the suggestion. His prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is not. In his first major media appearance since his thumping election win a month ago, Albanese was asked whether the US could renege on supplying nuclear submarines to Australia if spending is deemed inadequate. 'Well, I think Australia should decide on what we spend on Australia's defence. Simple as that', Albanese replied. 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To achieve Nato's GDP defence spending target of 3 per cent, let alone Hegseth's 3.5, something has to give. Albanese cannot deliver both massive social spending and vast defence outlays: to keep the Americans happy, and justify the continuation of both Aukus pillars, he will need to either prove himself a Bismarck-calibre statesman, or risk electoral wrath if he retreats on his domestic spending promises, and cuts existing programmes across his government, to afford adequate defence spending headroom. Australia needs America to be a strong ally in our troubled region, but the United States needs steadfast allies like Australia and Britain. Now the administration's scepticism about Aukus's value to the US is officially on the table, with a review entrusted to its biggest Aukus sceptic in Elbridge Colby, Australia and Britain must justify why all aspects of the partnership are a worthwhile investment with them, as America's partners, committed to playing their part in full. How well they do it will be a measure of their political and diplomatic competence.
Daily Record
13 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Lanarkshire has third highest number of suspected drug-related deaths in Scotland in first three months of 2025
From January to March of this year, there were 33 suspected drug-related deaths in the Lanarkshire police division, compared to 25 in the final quarter of 2024 and 29 in the equivalent quarter of 2024. Lanarkshire had the third highest number of suspect drug-related deaths in Scotland in the first three months of 2025. From January to March of this year, there were 33 suspected drug-related deaths in the Lanarkshire police division, compared to 25 in the final quarter of 2024 and 29 in the equivalent quarter of 2024. Only Glasgow (61) and Ayrshire (36) recorded more deaths in 2025. East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid has pinned the blame on the Scottish Government. She said: 'The SNP have treated drug deaths as an opportunity for photocalls and ideologically driven politics. 'Instead of tackling the root causes of drug deaths they have promoted their drug consumption room, something that has made the life of too many people in Glasgow's East End a misery and has plainly utterly failed but had the political advantage of being something not being tried in England. 'The SNP could have tried fixing the local authority budgets they have ruthlessly slashed over their 20 wasted years in government, putting money back into support services, tackling poverty and fixing public health. But they have never been interested in any of that. Instead, there is renewed speculation that John Swinney plans another round of council tax freezes and council spending cuts ahead of next year's polls.' Ms Reid's Labour colleague, the Central Scotland list MSP Monica Lennon added: 'This tragic rise in drug deaths shows just how badly the SNP is failing vulnerable people and their families. 'SNP ministers must provide proper access to recovery, treatment and rehab services, because substance use deaths are preventable. 'Each of these deaths is a tragedy – the SNP must act urgently to prevent the crisis spiralling further out of control.' Across Scotland, there were 308 such deaths over the period January to March, with this total up by 33 per cent on the last three months of 2024. The figures come after the UK's first safer drugs consumption room, the Thistle centre in Glasgow, opened for a three-year pilot in January this year as part of Scottish Government efforts to reduce Scotland's drugs deaths. They said that 'suspected drug deaths in Scotland remain at a high level' - with such cases up by 76 when compared to the final three months of 2024. Speaking as this week's figures were published, Health Secretary Neil Gray, who is also the MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, said: 'Every death is a tragedy and through our £250 million national mission we are determined to continue our efforts to reduce harm and deaths. My condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one. ' Mr Gray added: 'While these figures show a quarter-on-quarter rise in suspected drug deaths, they also note a year-on-year fall. 'We want every person experiencing harm to be able to access the support they need. 'We are taking a wide range of evidence-based measures including opening the UK's first safer drug consumption facility pilot, working towards drug-checking facilities and widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone.' Article continues below *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
