Labour minister hits out at Sadiq Khan's call for cannabis law reform
London 's mayor backed a report by the London Drugs Commission (LDC), which recommends that natural cannabis be removed from the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The LDC, set up by Sir Sadiq in 2022 and chaired by former lord chancellor Lord Charlie Falconer, found the current laws on cannabis were 'disproportionate to the harms it can pose' following a study of how the drug is policed around the world.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said that whilst the London mayor is 'entitled to his view on the matter', there is no intention to reclassify the class B drug.
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The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ministers must summon the courage to right an ‘obvious injustice'
The very judges who handed out 'unfair' indefinite prison sentences have joined The Independent 's campaign to resentence thousands of offenders who are still trapped by a law that was abolished in 2012. Sir John Saunders, a former High Court judge, tells us that he would apologise to offenders he sentenced to imprisonment for public protection (IPP) terms. 'I should say I'm really sorry this has happened; it's extremely unfair,' he said. 'I didn't want to be party to unfairness. I would feel very bad about it, I would apologise to them.' The sentences, described as an 'obvious injustice' by one former senior judge, were introduced by David Blunkett as home secretary in 2005 in an attempt to deal with a small number of offenders who might continue to be a danger to the public. Such prisoners were given no release date, were subject to stringent assessment before being let out, and were then liable indefinitely for recall to prison if they broke the conditions of their release. However, the sentences were used more often than Lord Blunkett intended, and the psychological effects of indefinite detention caused more problems than it solved. Lord Blunkett now describes the policy as his 'biggest regret'. The law was repealed by the coalition government in 2012, but it continued to apply to the thousands of prisoners still serving IPP sentences. Victims of the scandal, whose tragic cases have been taken up by The Independent, include Leroy Douglas, who has served 19 years for stealing a mobile phone; Thomas White, who set himself alight in his cell and has served 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery. The Independent supports a plan put forward by an expert panel convened by the Howard League for Penal Reform, which calls for IPP prisoners to be given a release date within a two-year window at their next parole hearing. They should, in effect, be resentenced and treated henceforth on the same basis as all other offenders. James Timpson, the prisons minister, says: 'We have significantly improved support for these offenders, with greater access to rehabilitation and mental health support. There is more work to do as we reduce the number of IPP offenders in custody, but we will only do so in a way that protects the public.' We understand why ministers in successive governments have been reluctant to go further. They are fearful of the consequences if someone released from an IPP sentence goes on to commit a serious offence. And they are right to make the protection of the public the highest priority. But that will not be achieved by the continued indefinite detention of 2,500 prisoners who were unlucky enough to be sentenced at the wrong time. Especially when a greater risk to the public is probably posed by the early release of prisoners to free up space in our overcrowded prisons. Simon Tonking, the former recorder of Stafford, told The Independent that the Labour government should use its majority to end the injustice by taking up the Howard League's proposals: 'Virtually everybody who has had any professional dealings with IPP knows that it is unjust and now is the time to act.' It is no use for former ministers such as Lord Blunkett and Alex Chalk, the former justice secretary, calling for justice to be done after they have left office. It is up to Lord Timpson, his boss Shabana Mahmood and ultimately Sir Keir Starmer to do the right thing while they can.
The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on car finance scandal redress: mis-sold loans demand action, not excuses or spin
With its ruling in the car finance case, the UK supreme court sent a clear message: some motorists purchased vehicles with deals that were indeed unfair, but it's not the judiciary's job to redraw the boundaries of consumer protection law. That burden, the justices suggested, rests with regulators and elected governments. This reasoning is in line with a major speech in June by the court's president, Lord Reed, who argued that judges aren't policymakers – and shouldn't be. He led a bench that nonetheless upheld a finding of unfairness in the case of the factory supervisor Marcus Johnson. The court flagged the danger, defined the threshold – but stopped short of imposing redress itself. Now, the baton has been passed. Millions could get payouts if the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) follows the court ruling with its proposed redress scheme, now out for consultation. The regulator admits what courts and campaigners have long suggested: that hidden commissions and opaque contracts were endemic, and that consumers were misled on a large scale. It may be 2025, but the roots of this scandal stretch back decades. More than 90% of new car purchases are financed, and for years, buyers weren't offered the best deal – just the one that earned the broker the biggest cut. Last October, the court of appeal saw hidden commissions as tantamount to bribes – secret incentives to push pricier loans. Banks had been on the hook for potentially £40bn in compensation had that view prevailed. But the supreme court disagreed. Dealers aren't fiduciaries, it said. They're not priests or doctors. They're salespeople and everyone knows it. The Treasury had tried, and failed, to intervene on behalf of banks that feared big payouts. The supreme court dismissed that petition with waspish brevity. Rachel Reeves may argue she was guarding financial stability, but it is not a good look to be siding with lenders over misled consumers, especially when there is a strong case to suggest regulators had been asleep at the wheel. The FCA now admits that many firms broke the rules. It plans a compensation scheme covering loans dating back to 2007, including both discretionary and some non-discretionary commission arrangements. The potential bill? At least £9bn, and possibly double that. Most individuals will probably receive less than £950 in compensation. The court's refusal to stretch the law to encompass issues of trust wasn't a shrug; it was a signal. The law allows unfairness to be addressed. But the heavy lifting must be done by the state. This episode lays bare a deeper malaise. Britain's credit system often runs on skewed incentives and asymmetric information. Brokers pose as advisers but act as commission-driven salespeople. In Mr Johnson's case a £1,650 hidden commission – a quarter of the car's price – went undisclosed. That's not a quirk; it's economics' classic lemons problem. In car finance, consumers didn't know how much brokers were pocketing or how that skewed the deal. Without trust or clarity, quality suffers – and everyone overpays for 'lemons' (duds). The court of appeal did focus minds; and failing to interpret the law robustly in the face of clear wrongdoing is itself a judicial choice. The supreme court smartly redirected the narrative. The regulator is stirring. Ministers must now support a consumer-facing system of redress and not shield the City from the consequences of its own mis‑selling. The public will be watching.
Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Jessie J treated in hospital for infection after breast cancer surgery
The pop singer Jessie J has revealed she returned to hospital with an infection and fluid on her lungs six weeks after having breast cancer surgery. The 37-year-old, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, told fans on Instagram on Sunday about the setback, sharing a picture of an IV cannula in her arm. The singer, who said in July that she had seen 'no cancer spread' since her operation in June, added that she has since discharged herself. She wrote: 'Six weeks post surgery and I was back in the same ward I was after my surgery. Not expected or planned. 'I had and still have symptoms that pointed towards a blood clot on the lung, it is not a blood clot thank God. 'They ran a lot of tests, which ended up showing I have an infection (still trying to figure out what) and a little fluid on my lungs. 'Finding it hard to breathe in, but I discharged myself last night (I hate being in hospital) and will continue the investigation as an outpatient.' The London-born mother of one added that it was 'frustrating' that her career plans had to change due to her surgery and hospital visits, and added that she had been 'working so hard to get to this point and excited to do it all'. She said: 'I know for me, the true hard journey of this whole thing physically was the day I went into surgery. 'The recovery physically is far from quick or easy, and mentally it's been the most challenging time for me, especially as a mum with a toddler and being unable to be the mother I usually am.' The star said her visit to hospital was a 'reminder to myself to slow down' even though she felt she was already at a slow pace. Jessie J added: 'This isn't a speedy recovery and it isn't meant to be. That slow pace has been a hard reality to accept to be honest. 'I love moving and working and being up and active but I can't be right now, and that's what it is, and I am finding the strength knowing that all can be adjusted to align with a slower pace and the support of my very small inner support circle.' The London-born singer welcomed her son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, in 2023, having had a miscarriage in November 2021. Her long-term partner is Chanan Colman, a basketball player. She has had health problems throughout her life, having been diagnosed with a heart condition aged eight, suffering a minor stroke aged 18, and having briefly gone deaf in 2020. She has had three No1 songs in the UK singles chart – Domino, Price Tag, and Bang Bang. She was awarded four Mobo awards in 2011 including best UK act, best newcomer, best song for Do It Like A Dude and best album with Who You Are, and won the Brit Award for rising star in 2011.
