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The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
It's a love-in at the home affairs committee as Yvette Cooper runs down the clock
What goes around doesn't always come around. When Yvette Cooper was chair of the home affairs select committee between 2016 and 2021, she was a force of nature. Tireless. Persistent. Forensic. A one-woman opposition party that the government took seriously. Yvette pretty much did for Amber Rudd – or rather, helped Rudd to do with herself – as home secretary. Sajid Javid was lucky to escape with a score draw in his appearances before her. Priti Patel merely had confirmed what we all knew: that she was one of the worst home secretaries in living memory. So you would have imagined that the current home affairs select committee would have wanted to live up to the reputation of its predecessor. To put Yvette through the same level of scrutiny. To make an appearance before them something the home secretary would come to fear. Two hours of her life in which her work at the department would be gone through in fine detail. And found wanting. After all, the Home Office is pretty much guaranteed to break every secretary of state in the end. Only Cooper appears to be having a charmed life. It's almost as if she had handpicked the committee itself. Mostly Labour MPs from the 2024 intake who appear reluctant to ask the tough questions. As if it might somehow be thought rude to do so. Or it might get back to the party whips that they had been a bit harsh. It's all a bit of a love-in. New MP Jake Richards's sister is an adviser to Yvette. He may as well have phoned in his questions over a drink or two. Nor are the two 2024 Lib Dems any different. There again, the current Lib Dems are even more enthusiastically Labour than Labour itself. This was the epitome of politesse. Courtly love. As a committee it was almost entirely pointless. Dumb, dumber, dumbest. The tone was set by Karen Bradley, the committee chair. A kind and gentle woman who appears to have unwittingly made a career as a politician. How this has happened, not even she really knows. She was, briefly, under the previous Tory government, the Northern Ireland secretary. Once in post, she declared that she had had the stunning insight that the Protestants and the Catholics really didn't get on that well. You can't buy that level of intelligence. To be fair, it's possible that Karen is merely biding her time. Trying to sit out life as quietly as possible, not rocking the boat, while her party indulges its current lunacy. Let Honest Bob and Kemi fight it out among themselves. Sooner or later some kind of sanity must return. Or maybe not. Either way, she's decided she's taking it easy. Time to make friends, not enemies. We began with something vaguely topical. The arrest of Paul Doyle for allegedly driving into the crowd at the Liverpool parade. But no one had much to say about that. Nigel Farage and Richard Tice might have been bitterly disappointed that he hadn't turned out to be a Muslim or an illegal immigrant, but everyone in the committee seemed quite relieved he had proved to be white and English. Then we moved on to policing. Which consisted of several MPs trying to name-check their own police forces. You feel that they haven't quite got the hang of this yet. They aren't in the committee room to generate a few soundbites for their constituency newsletters. They are there to interrogate the home secretary on the work of her department. But Yvette was more than happy to indulge the committee in its saccharine agenda. Why stop when you're winning? This was Cooper in her happy place. It was as if she had dosed up on amphetamines especially for the afternoon. The words rattled out of her mouth at a frightening speed. Not necessarily in the right order. The sentences more or less made sense on their own but were completely unintelligible when collected into a paragraph. The overall effect was hypnotic. Words for words' sake that battered you into morphine dream submission. In many ways, this was a bravura performance from Yvette. One designed to waste as much time as possible while saying little of interest. In among all the white noise she did commit news once, when she let slip that more children had been referred to Prevent, but that was a rare misstep. She wouldn't let it happen again. This was all about running down the clock. Ten minutes from the end, Bradley finally noticed that no one had got round to talking about the small boats. Had anyone got anything they wanted to ask about this, she inquired. No one had really. It may be a hot topic elsewhere in Westminster but not here. Eventually, someone said something about hotels. We didn't even get to discuss the warm-weather excuse that Chris Philp had described as nonsense, even though he had used himself. Was that the time? It was. It was over. Permanent Home Office secretary Antonia Romeo punched the air. She had lasted the entire two hours without saying a word. Civil servants dream of that sort of thing. Elsewhere, it was another day of Honest Bob out and about on manoeuvres. He is fighting the longest guerrilla leadership campaign in Tory party history. Another pointless TikTok stunt, then off to justice questions, where he once again defended the right of Tory women to encourage people to burn down hotels with migrants in them. No compassionate conservatism for him. But for outright stupidity, we must ask for the shadow Defra secretary, Victoria Atkins, to take a bow. Vicky had won an urgent question from the Commons speaker to ask Steve Reed about Thames Water. A scenario that even she couldn't screw up. Except she could. Vicky wondered if the reason KKR had pulled out of the deal was because Reed had said a few mean things about them at the weekend. This is what passes for scrutiny from the opposition these days.
Middle East Eye
08-05-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Shamefully, the UK has denied Gaza's injured children treatment in Britain
'I am proud that the UK is offering lifesaving medical care to these Ukrainian children, who have been forced out of their home country by the Russian invasion while undergoing medical treatment,' Sajid Javid, then the UK health secretary, said in March 2022. Within weeks of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the UK government had facilitated the evacuation of 21 Ukrainian children with cancer, and coordinated their treatment through the National Health Service (NHS). In contrast, last week - after 17 months of persistent lobbying - only two children from Gaza were finally permitted to enter the UK for medical treatment. They were chosen not because they are among those most severely injured by Israel's onslaught in Gaza; quite the opposite. Their diagnoses appear more politically neutral, involving congenital conditions not directly related to Israel's ongoing violence in Gaza. Behind what some might frame as a triumph of British humanitarianism lies a much darker reality. These are the only two Palestinian children in need of medical care that the UK government has agreed to receive since Israel accelerated its assault on Gaza in October 2023. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Their care hasn't been coordinated by the Foreign Office, nor will it be provided by the NHS. Rather, their treatment was arranged privately, funded entirely by donations and facilitated by a coalition of doctors, lawyers and volunteers through the NGO Project Pure Hope. The UK government hasn't just failed to help; it has actively blocked efforts to transfer severely injured children - those with blast wounds, amputations and burns - to UK hospitals for essential treatment. Political obstruction Officials from both the Home Office and Foreign Office have consistently denied visas, citing supposed logistical, medical or security reasons. These excuses collapse under minimal scrutiny, since we know that the UK government has rightly facilitated the transfer and treatment of children from Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan in recent years. These obstructions remained, despite the readiness of several UK hospitals. Major paediatric centres in London, Birmingham and Manchester have offered to provide world-class care in trauma, orthopaedics, plastic surgery and rehabilitation. Surgeons and other specialists have volunteered, charitable funding has been secured - and still the UK government has stood in the way. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Even Conservative peer Baroness Arminka Helic condemned the UK government's inaction, calling it a clear case of 'double standards'. This isn't a bureaucratic failure; it's overt political obstruction. Of the tens of thousands of children wounded by Israeli military violence in Gaza, all have been excluded, while a couple of children whose medical conditions were less likely to raise uncomfortable questions about Israel's indiscriminate attacks were eventually admitted. To admit just two children, while the UK continues to support Israel's violence in Gaza, is not an act of compassion. It is tokenism aiming to distract from the UK government's complicity in the ongoing genocide, and from its political and legal responsibilities. Why are injured children from Gaza being denied treatment in British hospitals? The answer is now clear: because their wounds carry political weight Since the care of these wounded children would be paid for by charities, the UK's refusal to issue visas amounts to a political blockade on access to treatment. By withholding paperwork, the British government leaves these children with untreated injuries and wounds - in some cases with fatal consequences. As far as we are aware, there was no official response from the government as of yet. In such situations, we often assume moral cowardice. But the deeper, more disturbing truth appears to be a form of depraved agreement; a belief that Palestinian children are less deserving of care, and that the provision of assistance would undermine the collusion of many states in the suffering inflicted upon Palestinians. This is the consequence of decades of dehumanisation and anti-Palestinian racism. This is not humanitarianism. It is the humanitarian alibi in full force; a superficial performance of care that distracts from political responsibilities and true accountability. Health system collapsed Meanwhile, Gaza's health system collapsed in October 2023 and has never been able to recover. More than 18,000 children have been killed. Thousands more are living with catastrophic injuries - without access to antibiotics, anaesthesia, surgical care, or even food, as Israel's total blockade and forced starvation now compound their suffering. Still, the barriers remain in place. In February 2024, then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron told parliament that the UK was ready to help medically vulnerable children. Encouraged by this, charities submitted visa applications. One was for a child with a double lower-limb amputation, accepted by a UK hospital and fully funded. The government ignored it. No reply came. Then, on 13 May 2024 - two months after the submission - a Home Office minister told parliament that no such applications had been received, but that any future applications would be treated seriously. First children from Gaza arrive in UK for medical treatment after 17-month struggle Read More » The Home Office told ITV News that applications are only judged as submitted when a child or their parents travel to a visa application centre for passport and visa checks. This is impossible for families in genocide-afflicted Gaza. As a coalition of doctors with direct experience working alongside our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza's hospitals during the genocide - along with colleagues advocating from the UK - we have seen just how far the government has gone to deflect responsibility. Every part of the evacuation process - permits, escorts, transport, surgery - has been managed by civil society groups and volunteers. The government has not contributed a single pound. And yet, in public, British politicians attempt to maintain the facade of compassion. In February 2024, a UK newspaper asked: why are injured children from Gaza being denied treatment in British hospitals? The answer is now clear: because their wounds carry political weight. Because allowing them into the country would exposes the UK's passive inaction and active complicity. Because their suffering is inconvenient. Children's lives should never be politicised, but this is the reality for all Palestinian children. Two were permitted into the UK - not because they were the most in need, but because they posed no threat to the western narrative. In doing so, the UK government made its humanitarian red lines brutally clear - and showed us exactly who it deems worthy of care. Everyone except Palestinians. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Telegraph
03-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Britain's ‘permissive' approach to crime costs 10pc of GDP every year, analysis suggests
Britain's 'permissive' approach to crime is costing the UK as much as £250 billion a year – or the equivalent of 10 per cent of GDP – according to a report backed by former home secretary Sir Sajid Javid. Knife attacks, robberies and shoplifting have risen by between 50 to 90 per cent since 2015, costing individuals some £63 billion alone each year. The impact on business and the public sector adds £69 billion to the bill, according to the analysis by the think tank Policy Exchange. It calculated that about half the total bill stemmed from people and businesses changing their behaviour: from the cost of a taxi home at night because of a perceived fear of being attacked to businesses that are leaving the UK because of high crime rates. And 'police permissiveness' – with as few as one in 20 crimes being solved – was also amongst the reasons cited for the massive bill, according to the report. Also blamed for incentivising criminals were: the fall in police numbers in the 2010s; a reduced trust in justice; and rising court backlogs. In a foreword to the report, Sir Sajid, who was also chancellor under Boris Johnson, said: 'Criminals' actions destroy trust in other people, trust in institutions and trust in government. And without trust, our police forces and the free market cannot function. 'A situation in which people believe that when they report a crime the police will not follow up and the perpetrator will not be brought to justice is not sustainable. 'Restoring that trust, and the rule of law on which prosperity relies, must be a priority for the Government. Without it, our society will suffer. Our prospects for economic growth will suffer. And the costs of that will fall squarely on the British people. We can, and must, do better.' The report recommended that the Government should spend an extra £5 billion on the criminal justice system, including £2.4 billion to invest in an extra 53,000 more prison places, £1.9 billion on extra police officers and staff, £500 million on the courts and £200 million on new technology to fight crime. It said defence spending should be ring-fenced but other areas of government should be cut to pay for the increased funding including Civil Service staffing levels, the benefits bill and overseas aid. It said the regime for uprating pensions should be reviewed. The report also recommended that the Government should introduce new legislation to jail hyper-prolific offenders – anyone who has 45 or more convictions – for a minimum of two years. It proposed scrapping concurrent sentences, where criminals serve a single bloc of time for different offences, and instead face longer terms through serving their sentences consecutively. It follows research by Policy Exchange that nine per cent of offenders accounted for more than half (52 per cent) of crimes. Immediate deportation The report called for amendments to immigration legislation that would ensure any foreign national convicted of a criminal offence should be subject to immediate deportation at the end of their sentence. It also recommended that the Special Constabulary should be remodelled entirely as the 'Reserves Constabulary' – based upon the contribution made by the Armed Forces reservists. This should entail a substantial increase in the size of the reserve constabulary which would ensure a minimum annual commitment and long-term deployments into emergency response and specialist capabilities. The most extreme 'hotspots' for the most serious offending, such as knife crime, should be identified and police chiefs held to account for delivering a relentless policing presence in those areas. 'Where reasonable grounds exist, every opportunity to lawfully stop and search individuals should be taken alongside the widespread implementation of live facial recognition to better fight crime,' said the report. 'There should also be greater legal protections for police officers undertaking actions on behalf of the state to reduce the incidence of vexatious allegations of misconduct and the risk of prosecution alongside a substantial scaling back of the powers and scope of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.'
The Guardian
03-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Soaring UK crime costing up to £250bn a year, says thinktank
Soaring levels of crime are costing Britain's economy as much as £250bn a year, according to a report that blames austerity for a breakdown in policing and criminal justice. The report by the centre-right thinktank Policy Exchange, backed by the former Conservative chancellor and home secretary Sajid Javid, said that years of cuts to funding for the police, prisons and courts had contributed to a dramatic rise in crime which was holding back the economy. The report said an 'epidemic' of shoplifting, alongside other crimes, was hitting businesses, the public sector and individuals hard, with a direct cost to the economy of about £170bn a year, or about 6.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, it estimated there were intangible effects on behaviour derived from a fear of crime. Although this is difficult to quantify, it warned that actions being taken by businesses and individuals to avoid being a victim of crime – such as not visiting the high street, or deferring investment – could take the total cost to as much as £250bn, or 10% of GDP. With the government under pressure to find money for public services and defence spending, Policy Exchange said Labour needed to invest an additional £5bn a year into tackling a crisis in prison capacity, the size of the policing workforce and clearing backlogs in the courts. Alongside highlighting austerity, the thinktank recommended reforms to sentencing, including automatic tougher sentences for prolific offenders and deportation of foreign offenders. The report, which was also backed by the former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane, urged the government to increase public spending on policing and the criminal justice system to help underpin the economy. Official figures show a steady increase in levels of crime over recent years, while Britain's largest retailers have warned of a rise in shoplifting with huge costs for the industry. Last year, Sharon White, the former chair of the John Lewis Partnership, described the increase as an 'epidemic'. Police-recorded shoplifting has increased by 51% relative to 2015 and is at its highest level in 20 years. Police-recorded robberies and knife crime offences are up 64% and 89% respectively over the same period. Javid, who was home secretary between 2018 and 2019, before briefly serving as chancellor until early 2020, wrote in the foreword to the report that he was proud of his record in government for tackling crime, but added: 'that said, there's clearly more to do.' 'History teaches us that economic activity flourishes in societies that value law and order. When consumers and businesses know that contracts will be honoured, and that the fruits of their labour will be protected from theft and the threat of violence, they have the confidence to work, to earn and to build something of value. Without this confidence we all suffer.' Labour has sought to crack down on crime, with Keir Starmer having said in opposition years of cuts to police funding and changes to sentencing rules were a 'Tory shoplifter's charter' for the rise in crime rates across the UK. However, there are concerns that a tight position in the public finances and the government pushing to increase defence spending could lead to funding restraint for public services in chancellor Rachel Reeves's spring spending review later this month. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Policy Exchange said it recommended cuts to other areas of public spending, while suggesting that defence funding must take priority. This however would complicate Labour's promises not to return to austerity, as well as campaign pledges to fix battered public services. Haldane, who is now the chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, said: 'We are approaching what will almost certainly be a brutal, and what could be an electorally defining, public spending review. 'In an era of acute anxiety, this report is an arresting clarion – and wake-up – call to all political parties on the true and rising economic costs of crime and the societal consequences of continuing malign neglect of that most foundational of government responsibilities – the security of citizens.' Diana Johnson, the minister for crime and policing, said: 'In the next decade, this government plans to halve violence against women and girls and knife crime, and restore public confidence in policing and the criminal justice system, as part of the Safer Streets Mission. 'Through the Plan for Change, we will also bring visible policing back to communities, with 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs and specials. Alongside this, the government will build 14,000 more prison places by 2031 to lock up dangerous offenders.'
