AS ANOTHER general election looms, Blair and Blunkett are renewing
their pledge to tackle crime. After seven years of New Labour’s ‘tough on
crime’ stance and the previous 19 years of Tory bootcamps, Blair believes
it is time to end the ‘liberal consensus’ on law and order.
Charlie Newton, Youth worker
Everyone wants to live in safe communities where your kids are able to
go out and play and your car won’t be stolen or your house burgled. But is
it really the case that more draconoian measures are the answer?
Blair would like us to believe that crime has increased because society
has been ‘too liberal’ and parents have not got control of their kids, but
that simply isn’t true.
During the last few years the prison population has rocketed, new
repressive measures such as curfews, CCTV and tagging have been introduced
or stepped up, has it worked? The Tories and New Labour have failed
miserably with their draconian policies. Over 70% of those detained
re-offend on release.
To find a solution you need to understand the problem. Even the
government acknowledge, buried away in documentary evidence, that crime is
linked to poverty and social deprivation; produce a map of poverty and the
map of crime will be very much the same.
After thirty years of attacks on the working-class and their
communities, millions of children grow up in poverty, in inadequate
housing, in communities with high unemployment and ravaged by low pay and
insecurity for those at work.
With services to support families in crisis cut to the bone and youth
work underfunded, young people are growing up alienated and without hope
for a decent future.
Decent training at trade union rates of pay, well paid jobs and
apprenticeships and the prospect of a decent future would draw many young
people towards a meaningful future.
But such a programme is out with political parties funded by big
business and driven to meet their demand for profits. All capitalism can
offer is increasingly repressive policies which will solve nothing.
The Socialist Party campaigns for decent housing, youth facilities,
jobs and training for a real improvement in the communities where
working-class people live.
