Expect more furious nail-chewing in Downing Street today, after the leak of a pessimistic memo from Jacqui Smith to Gordon Brown. The picture that the Home Secretary paints, of the effect the economic downturn will have on crime, is a bleak one. Here are some extracts:
“[A downturn] would place significant upward pressure on acquisitive crime (theft, robbery and burglary) and therefore overall crime figures … [this] might require difficult decisions over officer numbers and priorities.”
And
“There is a risk of a downturn increasing the appeal of far right extremism … which presents a threat as there is evidence that … experiencing racism is one of the factors that can lead to people becoming terrorists.”
Coming just a couple of days after Darling’s frank admissions over the economy, it’s a tremendous blow for Gordon Brown and his autumn relaunch. There’s being realistic about the state of things, and then there’s being fatalistic. It may be unfair to claim that Smith’s being the latter of these. But the opposition attack dogs will certainly be able to spin it that way.
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