Cherie speaks sense

Verity

Duh.

It was she and her slimeball husband who created the culture of victimology which gave these little thugs- and big thugs, too, a free pass.

And did you have to post the photo?

Nicholas

In all the outrage at the latest teenage murder one question seems to have been avoided. What was a 16 years old doing in a pub/nightclub at 2 a.m.?

Effective policing is not about a silver bullet of stop and search. It is about holistic tactics and an attitude that the police no longer seem to have. Their eye has been off the ball for so long it is difficult to see how they can regain it. ACPO seem interested in making even more laws than properly enforcing the ones we already have. Perhaps less time talking openly to the press and politicians and more time doing your jobs, gentlemen?

Charlie

Many violent teenagers despise the law because they consider themselves tougher than many of the police officers they meet. If there was one on one fight with no weapons on either side who would win the fight- yob or police officer? If there is any doubt that the Police officer would win, then they are neither tough or fit enough to deal with the violence of inner city UK. No yob will respect a police officer whom they consider weaker than themselves. If you doubt this look at "Kids, knives and Broken Lives" Ch 4 -30 June. The police arriving mob handed does not earn the respect of a group of yobs. A single tough police officer joking with a bunch of yobs and showing no fear in their eyes and voice will earn their respect. "Those who have no fear can walk with the wild anmals" quote from Shaman .

Tiberius

Quite right, Verity, and I wonder if she will also come to see the realities of the Middle East conflict.

Nicholas; you're being harsh. The lad was entitled to a social life, even if in a pub at 16. These punks could easily murder you walking home from the cinema in broad daylight.

Chris

Guardinistas such as Mrs Blair have worked very hard, for many years, completely counter to intuitition, and flying in the face of all accepted wisdom and experience to get to the point where there is roughly a knifing a day in England. We live, friends, in the socialist paradise they all prescribed for us.

To use a metaphor, they wrested the rock from Sisyphus and hurled it back down the slope. Now we are faced with attempting to start again. Almost certainly farther back from where we started.

Stop and search would be the very least as a start.

Old Hack

Typically confused Liberal. Oppose the death penalty after conviction of the gravest criminal acts, but support the shooting of allegedly armed suspects by the Police on grounds of health and safety.

Nicholas

Tiberius: you misunderstood but rightly so. I was not meaning to suggest he was in any way responsible for what occurred. My question was about late night drinking by the under-aged and those who facilitate it.

KB

I think what she said is quite astonishing. Most people, I imagine, would prefer to prosecute and punish criminals rather than simple harry them.

And how does one take the glamour out of crime? Again, by getting serious about prosecution. Isn't this the explanation for why drink-driving is so rare these days?

Tiberius

Fair enough on that point, Nicholas.

I don't live in London, but I have a 12 year-old son, who will be 16 before I know it, and like millions of parents, I have nightmares about what could happen when he's out on his own, something he will inevitably want to do more frequently as he gets older.

Chuck Unsworth

So this moronic woman is suggesting that these people whom she describes as criminals - without the slightest indication as to any trial and conviction - should be 'harried' (i.e harrassed) by the cops on the basis of mere 'suspicion'?

Since when was 'harrying' allowed under any sentencing guidelines? And what constitutes 'harrying'? Are the cops allowed to 'harry?'

Maybe she's thinking that those who 'might' be criminals ought to be harried?

Well it's my view that this QC should be 'harried' so that she understands what 'harrying' may actually entail.

Did I hear somewhere that she'd specialised in Human Rights?

Tankus .....

Chuck Unsworth "Did I hear somewhere that she'd specialised in Human Rights?"

job creation ....

...tink ov all those fat 'uuman rights cases to come...!

easy money innnit ...!

Frank Pulley

Chuck

>"Since when was 'harrying' allowed under any sentencing guidelines? And what constitutes 'harrying'? Are the cops allowed to 'harry?'"

As harrying = harassment, the answer to your last question is definitely not. It contravenes the Protection from Harassement Act 1997, which the police should enforce, not contravene, as Cherie knows only too well.

She has had her day wearing her curlers in the corridors of power and entertaining masseuses
and Australian con-men there. Perhaps we have seen and heard enough of the scouse gitess. Why doesn't she shut that Mersey Tunnel of a gob and fade away. One hopes she is not thinking of doing a Hillary and getting Tone back into No.10 as a house husband!