Uncork the Gauke! In the coalition years, whenever George Osborne found himself in a tight spot as Chancellor, advisers would send for David Gauke, who was then a Treasury minister. The tall, imposing but unflappable Gauke would tour the radio and TV studios to deliver a measured message of reassurance, calming the political waters and restoring some credibility to whatever government policy was in the spotlight.
This week, Gauke has been uncorked again – this time by Labour – to solve the prison capacity crisis. When the party came to office, the population in men’s jails across England and Wales was rising so fast it was about to outstrip the number of places. Emergency measures, including the early release of inmates, gave the government some breathing space, with funding made available for 14,000 additional places by 2031. But ministers were aware that without more fundamental changes prisons would still run out of room, so they turned for ideas (and political cover) to Gauke, a lawyer who served as justice secretary under Theresa (now Baroness) May.
The MoJ and the Home Office are heading in different directions
The 53-year-old’s review, published today, recommends a massive switch from imprisonment to community penalties and remote monitoring.
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