Crack on, PM
YOU could be forgiven for thinking yet another crackdown on anti-social behaviour is something we’ve seen many times.
Some of the measures put forward by Rishi Sunak today — tougher fines for littering and fly-tipping — are extensions of what has gone before, often to little effect.
But a tough new stance against the menace of street begging and a plan to make yobs wear jumpsuits highlighting their behaviour are to be welcomed.
The headline-grabber is the ban on hippy crack.
Last year experts on the body which advises on drugs misuse insisted that making nitrous oxide illegal would be a disproportionate response to the relative harm it does users.
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But that failed to take into account what a blight it has become in society.
Wherever a handful of laughing gas canisters are lobbed from a car window, you can be sure residents nearby will have endured a sleepless night.
It’s easy to dismiss this as small stuff.
But it matters.
As zero-tolerance proved in 1990s New York, there is a direct link between crushing low-level crime and success in preventing more serious, violent offences.
Punishing offenders properly is part of that process.
More difficult might be persuading police chiefs — rightly collared yesterday by Michael Gove for putting virtue signalling above stopping law-breakers — to do their job properly.
Rights idea
IT may well be that the hopes of many Brexit voters are shattered and the UK never entirely shrugs off the dead hand of the European Court of Human Rights.
But it is clear that we don’t need a total divorce to tackle the Channel boats.
The Government’s Illegal Migration Bill is expected to include drafting that would allow the Home Secretary to ignore ECHR rule 39 orders, which allow judges to meddle in our affairs.
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Just such an order was used at the 11th hour by an anonymous European judge to stop a Rwanda flight despite a British court ruling the scheme lawful
What would be the effect if Britain were to ignore the ECHR — as other countries routinely do?
We would find out immediately whether the Rwanda scheme worked to deter migrants from illegal crossings.
And it would be a healthy demonstration of taking back control.
Wembley win
WHAT a wonderful and moving Wembley tribute to the people of Ukraine yesterday.
For us, of course, England must always come first.
But we sincerely hope our true friends and heroes join us in next year’s Finals.