Rising above tribal instinct to deliver equality under the law is the foundation of civilisation. It is a habit hard to learn, and easy to forget.
The continuing failure of our law of public protest was made vivid again last week, when Amanda Kelly, a District Judge, found four members of Insulate Britain not guilty of the offence of wilful obstruction of the highway.
It is absurd to keep demanding citizens prove their identity whilst making a pious stand against giving them an easy way to do so.
Inadequate parenting, ideological orthodoxy, and trades-union inertia share the blame, but shamefully ambiguous official advice on exclusions must be overhauled.
Basic services – the NHS, policing, schools, road maintenance, refuse collection, you name it – have gone to rack and ruin. Life expectancy has fallen sharply. We still have, to our shame, by far the worst drug death levels in Europe.
Ironically enough, Nandy neglected to mention that she herself had said in 2021 that she was “appalled” that a hotel in her constituency was being used to accommodate asylum-seekers,
Insisting on degrees is an example of pointless red tape, and I want to get rid of all such bureaucratic burdens. Sir Stephen House’s Operational Productivity Review is designed to do just that.
We trust those who served in arms, or in uniform, with great authority and significant power. They must be held to the highest standards.
As drafted it would let many of those who block highways and vandalise property get away with it, just as they do today.
The right to protest is an important part of our democracy. But this right is not absolute.
We have been looking at how we can strengthen our laws to provide the police with the clarity they need to stop serious disruption and will come forward with those plans in the coming weeks.
There is probably nowhere else in the United Kingdom where this shabby, universally-derided Bill would be contemplated.
With households feeling the squeeze, have a duty to be smart and imaginative in making policing budgets stretch as far as possible.
Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil use a tactical handbook written by a true fanatic, and an effective response must recognise this.
We also want victims to be put first. Too often, their voices get lost in the system – but we will ensure they are heard when key decisions are made.