Kennedy accuses Labour on crime

5.10.10pm GMT Mon 15th Nov 2004

Kennedy accuses Labour on crime

In a key note speech this lunchtime, Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy accused Labour of using populist Talk to mask their overall failure on crime. He highlighted Liberal Democrat plans to strengthen Anti-Social Behaviour Orders with new ASBO PLUS proposals, cut prison re-offending rates by making prisons both punish and rehabilitate and to institute measures to place the victims at the centre of community justice.

Charles Kennedy MP said "The Government has been tough on rhetoric, but weak on solutions. Its approach is piecemeal, knee-jerk, headline chasing, focusing on the symptoms - the criminals - at the expense of sound policies aimed at tackling the disease - crime itself…The real, effective solutions to crime are liberal solutions - punishment and rehabilitation."

Mr. Kennedy further said about ASBO PLUS "Punishment and prevention. Anti-Social Behaviour Orders have been successful in many communities in providing short-term relief. But unless there is also a strategy for changing the behaviour of offenders, we either push the problem behind closed doors, or shunt it from one community to another. That's why Liberal Democrats are now calling for ASBO PLUS. Where there is a need for an ASBO, you issue it. But it must only be used in conjunction with action to tackle the underlying causes of these problems. Youth workers to sort out attitudes and to divert them into positive activities. Social workers to encourage families to pull together. Drug workers to tackle substance misuse. Education and training for those who are excluded from school or unemployed."