This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/08/nick-clegg-met-chief-automatic-jail-knife-carrying
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Nick Clegg criticises Met chief over call for automatic jail for knife carrying | Nick Clegg criticises Met chief over call for automatic jail for knife carrying |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nick Clegg has criticised the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, for calling for automatic jail sentences for those who repeatedly carry a knife. | Nick Clegg has criticised the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, for calling for automatic jail sentences for those who repeatedly carry a knife. |
| In the Guardian, Clegg revealed he had rejected Conservative plans for six-month jail sentences for those who are repeatedly found in possession of a knife. The plans were championed by Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, and are now set to be put to the Commons by Tory backbenchers with the likely support of the Labour party. | In the Guardian, Clegg revealed he had rejected Conservative plans for six-month jail sentences for those who are repeatedly found in possession of a knife. The plans were championed by Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, and are now set to be put to the Commons by Tory backbenchers with the likely support of the Labour party. |
| Hogan-Howe waded into the row, saying gang members heard simple messages such as that there was a minimum five-year jail sentence for possession of a gun, but had no idea about the equivalent sentence for carrying a knife. "Young people do hear simple messages. If they have heard the message about guns, they need to start hearing it about knives," he told LBC. | Hogan-Howe waded into the row, saying gang members heard simple messages such as that there was a minimum five-year jail sentence for possession of a gun, but had no idea about the equivalent sentence for carrying a knife. "Young people do hear simple messages. If they have heard the message about guns, they need to start hearing it about knives," he told LBC. |
| He said: "Where we get gang members or young people carrying knives, there is no excuse … that is a serious matter for me, and I am afraid knives generally do one thing – that is wound people and sometimes kill them. It is vital we send a clear message to young people." | He said: "Where we get gang members or young people carrying knives, there is no excuse … that is a serious matter for me, and I am afraid knives generally do one thing – that is wound people and sometimes kill them. It is vital we send a clear message to young people." |
| But speaking on his phone-in, Call Clegg, the deputy prime minister refused to shift and said it was the job of politicians to sometimes deny the police the powers they sought and come to an independent judgment. | But speaking on his phone-in, Call Clegg, the deputy prime minister refused to shift and said it was the job of politicians to sometimes deny the police the powers they sought and come to an independent judgment. |
| He said: "I fundamentally disagree with him [Hogan-Howe]. The police often quite understandably say they want new powers on the statute book and politicians often say: 'Well hang on a minute, we don't just constantly put new powers and offences on the statute book without considering the knock-on effect on the prison population, on rates of reoffending.'" | He said: "I fundamentally disagree with him [Hogan-Howe]. The police often quite understandably say they want new powers on the statute book and politicians often say: 'Well hang on a minute, we don't just constantly put new powers and offences on the statute book without considering the knock-on effect on the prison population, on rates of reoffending.'" |
| Clegg said: "This is just about carrying a knife, not committing an offence with it. There may well be cases where a judge should imprison someone for carrying a knife. What I am saying is that I don't think everyone should be chucked into prison regardless of the circumstances, with no discretion, no exceptions and no extenuating circumstances. Coming up to an election time, it is not the easiest thing to be accused of being soft on knife crime. I am not being soft. Let us be tough on knife crime, but let us be smart about it." | Clegg said: "This is just about carrying a knife, not committing an offence with it. There may well be cases where a judge should imprison someone for carrying a knife. What I am saying is that I don't think everyone should be chucked into prison regardless of the circumstances, with no discretion, no exceptions and no extenuating circumstances. Coming up to an election time, it is not the easiest thing to be accused of being soft on knife crime. I am not being soft. Let us be tough on knife crime, but let us be smart about it." |
| He said the "more you just chuck people into prison without judges having the ability to make their own minds up about what would be an appropriate sentence to fit the crime, [the more] you just create a revolving door in which you get more crime created". | He said the "more you just chuck people into prison without judges having the ability to make their own minds up about what would be an appropriate sentence to fit the crime, [the more] you just create a revolving door in which you get more crime created". |
| "Hogan-Howe is saying that if you go out of your house with a penknife and you have a previous knife-related offence, under this arrangement put forward by the Conservatives that person would go to prison. That is what the law of the land would be." | "Hogan-Howe is saying that if you go out of your house with a penknife and you have a previous knife-related offence, under this arrangement put forward by the Conservatives that person would go to prison. That is what the law of the land would be." |
| He added that he had supported mandatory sentences for using a knife in a threatening way. | He added that he had supported mandatory sentences for using a knife in a threatening way. |
| Clegg's challenge to the Conservatives opens up the possibility of another big split in the coalition with at least 40 Tory backbenchers demanding that their party fulfil the 2010 manifesto pledge which states that "anyone convicted of a knife crime can expect to face a prison sentence". | Clegg's challenge to the Conservatives opens up the possibility of another big split in the coalition with at least 40 Tory backbenchers demanding that their party fulfil the 2010 manifesto pledge which states that "anyone convicted of a knife crime can expect to face a prison sentence". |
| Tory backbenchers have already tabled amendments introducing automatic six-month jail sentences to the new criminal justice and courts bill for any offender caught in possession of a knife twice. Currently, about three in four of those convicted of a knife crime do not go to prison. The measures are due for debate in the next few weeks. | Tory backbenchers have already tabled amendments introducing automatic six-month jail sentences to the new criminal justice and courts bill for any offender caught in possession of a knife twice. Currently, about three in four of those convicted of a knife crime do not go to prison. The measures are due for debate in the next few weeks. |
| David Cameron has not yet said how Conservative ministers will respond to the amendments, but if he fails to back Grayling a large Tory rebellion is likely and it could isolate him. Grayling has the support of the home secretary, Theresa May, and the education secretary, Michael Gove. | |
| Writing in the Guardian, Clegg said: "Everybody has been shaken by the death of Ann Maguire and the notion that any teacher should lose their life in the classroom. It was especially poignant because she was clearly such a widely respected and loved teacher. But in the aftermath of terrible events such as this we have to be careful that we don't simply reach for headline-grabbing solutions which don't necessarily work in practice." | Writing in the Guardian, Clegg said: "Everybody has been shaken by the death of Ann Maguire and the notion that any teacher should lose their life in the classroom. It was especially poignant because she was clearly such a widely respected and loved teacher. But in the aftermath of terrible events such as this we have to be careful that we don't simply reach for headline-grabbing solutions which don't necessarily work in practice." |
| The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, told the BBC: "I don't agree with Nick Clegg. I think we do need tougher penalties for knife crime. | The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, told the BBC: "I don't agree with Nick Clegg. I think we do need tougher penalties for knife crime. |
| "We definitely do want to use the legislation to strengthen the law and we are definitely sympathetic to the issue of mandatory sentences after a second offence. | "We definitely do want to use the legislation to strengthen the law and we are definitely sympathetic to the issue of mandatory sentences after a second offence. |
| "We need to make sure it's done in the right way, but that's where we stand, because I think the public want to know that we are going to send a strong message to people who carry knives repeatedly that it is not acceptable." | "We need to make sure it's done in the right way, but that's where we stand, because I think the public want to know that we are going to send a strong message to people who carry knives repeatedly that it is not acceptable." |
| The Conservative mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "Nick Clegg is wrong. I do believe it's vital that we work to educate and rehabilitate those caught up in the culture of knife-carrying but equally it is imperative that the police and the courts are given every support to tackle the scourge of knife crime." | The Conservative mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "Nick Clegg is wrong. I do believe it's vital that we work to educate and rehabilitate those caught up in the culture of knife-carrying but equally it is imperative that the police and the courts are given every support to tackle the scourge of knife crime." |