Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Forum
Reply
Stay safe out there
at 13:03 10 Sep 2024

100%.

The prison/probation or in some cases the local authority have obligations to house released prisoners, they should definitely be housed somewhere which minimises the chances of reoffending.
Forum
Reply
Stay safe out there
at 12:59 10 Sep 2024

That depends on the time of crime they’ve committed, if it’s shoplifting, driving while disqualified, drugs they won’t tell the victims, but if , where the victim knows the offender they absolutely should tell the victim. The terms of the release scheme should prevent domestic offenders and violent criminals being released, but I suppose that will come down to what is a “violent criminal” as I can see 1 person with abh convictions has been released.
Forum
Reply
Stay safe out there
at 10:16 10 Sep 2024

I didn’t say I agreed with the policy, I am merely pointing out why it’s happening. You’re blaming Starmer, but it’s a product of many years of underinvestment in the criminal's justice system under the previous conservative regime where the police, courts, CPS, prisons and probation service have all been slashed.

Tories innit …. well yes. Cameron, Osborne and May to be precise. In fairness to Boris, despite his many shortcomings he did reverse the huge cuts to police numbers, but the damage had already been done.
Forum
Reply
Stay safe out there
at 00:26 10 Sep 2024

It would make a difference, but I don’t believe that all pensioners should be paid the WFA, I think it needs to be a targeted benefit.

For what it’s worth I think the decision to change it away from a universal payment is correct because I know quite a few pensioners who don’t need it because they are pulling in between £70k and £150k per year. Equally, I think setting the bar at pension credit level is far too low, there’ll be pensioners out there on £100 a year more than the pension credit threshold and they’ll get nowt - it’s outrageous. The bar has to be raised to capture the bottom tier and the needy above them while the better off who don’t need the payment lose it.
Forum
Reply
Stay safe out there
at 21:29 9 Sep 2024

The release of prisoners was coming whoever was in charge, Sunak’s Conservatives released 10,000 in the lead up to the GE.

Tax rises were coming whoever was in charge, it’s just where the burden will fall.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/12/over-10000-prisoners-fre
Forum
Reply
Stay safe out there
at 20:56 9 Sep 2024

Absolutely is. They failed to invest enough to increase the prison capacity during their reign. The plan Labour see now implementing was initially signed off by the last government in the run up to the GE.

Guess what? The number of prison officers in 2024 is lower than it was in 2010, it’s around 1,200 lower at the moment. At its lowest point in 2016 we had over 6,000 less which equates to a decrease of over 25%. Being a prison officer is one job I wouldn’t do - it’s a very dangerous job.
Forum
Reply
Labour voters
at 22:33 8 Sep 2024

Some fair points, but look at the water industry where we still have monopoly suppliers. Thames Water… no debt to £15bn debt all leveraged, the companies are still paying dividend out but expect us to pick up huge rises in the bills.

We need to diversify and a sensible renewables programme should be part of it. Any new house being built should be fitted with solar energy, the power generated can be used to provide hot water and generate electricity.
Forum
Reply
Labour voters
at 21:18 8 Sep 2024

There’s definitely something going on. A couple of years ago the fuel at the supermarkets was always cheaper than the independents, these days down our way it’s the other way around.

I called at a garage in Drefach, near Cross Hands last week and diesel was £134.9 which was cheaper than any supermarket and 41p per litre cheaper than a certain filling station on the M4. For us old timers who still deal in gallons, that’s a difference of £1.816 per gallon, or if you’re sticking 10 gallons in it’s a difference of £18.61 which is outrageous.
[Post edited 8 Sep 22:28]
Forum
Reply
Labour voters
at 17:44 8 Sep 2024

But the increased tax burden applies to everyone on account of the previous government freezing the personal allowance from 2022 until 2026 which they then extended to 2028. Not increasing the personal allowance is going to hurt a lot of people. I’d hope that once we’re in better shape the personal allowance is one of the first things this government will look to increase.
Forum
Reply
Ricky Jones
at 16:36 8 Sep 2024

Very possibly.

Remand prisoners were held in a different wing and because they hadn’t been convicted they had privileges like extra phone calls to family, additional visits (possibly daily) from loved ones and slightly better conditions. Time spent on remand would then be taken in to account when custodial sentences were apportioned and would impact on the total time spent in prison. However, the government changed the sentencing rules a few years ago, so it probably doesn’t happen so often these days. Suspects who are “banged to rights” can be much better off pleading guilty as soon as possible because that way they get the biggest discount on their potential custodial sentence (around 30%). The discount then starts to decrease as the case progresses through the Court system, if a case goes to trial and the prisoners are convicted by a jury then they’ll not get any discount. The discounts are intended to save money and time.
[Post edited 8 Sep 18:20]
Forum
Reply
The tainted First Minister
at 16:15 8 Sep 2024

Adios hombre. It’s time for him to saddle up and get the heck out of Dodge. In my opinion he’s let himself and more importantly us down with some of his actions and conduct.

I wonder if he’ll reappear as a head of a quango or similar? Wouldn’t be surprised.
Forum
Reply
Ricky Jones
at 10:52 8 Sep 2024

He’s accepted using the words, but denied the offence of violent disorder would be committed whatever that’s supposed to mean. As Kieth has said, doing time on remand is easier and gives a prisoner more privileges, but he’ll be trading that for a longer stretch if he’s found guilty and sent down.
Forum
Reply
Ricky Jones
at 19:28 7 Sep 2024

As has been pointed out already he was further remanded in Custody and that’s where he’ll stay unless his barrister makes an application to a Judge in Chambers for his release on bail. To date there’ve not been any two tier or double standards in this case.
Forum
Reply
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales v Türkiye 🇹🇷 : Nations League 1/6
at 09:28 7 Sep 2024

Because S4C purchases the right to broadcast the match in Welsh, the English rights are usually sold to a much bigger outfit who pay a lot more. S4C do sometimes have a n English language option on the red button, but it all depends on the terms of the contract and if anyone has picked up the English language options.
S4C have worked a little route to get around the monopoly the likes of Sky have on broadcasting events.
[Post edited 7 Sep 9:28]
Forum
Reply
Ricky Jones
at 09:09 7 Sep 2024

Good enough. The guy put wood on to a fire which had been lit against the side of a building, it could have spread destroying a multi million pound building and injured or killed people. It could also have been the catalyst for many other copy cat attacks.
Forum
Reply
Ricky Jones
at 00:58 7 Sep 2024

Where are the double standards? Jones has pleaded Not Guilty hence the need to have a trial whereas the others have pleaded Guilty at the first opportunity and can therefor be sentenced. Jones is, in my opinion playing a strange game, because he’s risking additional porridge by missing * out on the early plea discount.
Forum
Reply
Ricky Jones
at 00:52 7 Sep 2024

If you took the time to understand how the criminal justice system works you’d see that there aren’t double standards at play here. There’s a glaring difference between this case and the other cases where people have been imprisoned for their part in the disorder.
Everyone who’s been sent down has pleaded guilty to the offence with which they were charged, doing so enables them to get the biggest discount on the sentence because of their Guilty plea. Ricky Jones is contesting the allegation and has pleaded not guilty - you can’t sentence someone if they haven’t pleaded guilty or been found guilty.

He was Charged, appeared at Magistrates Court where he was remanded in Custody until today. He appeared in Court today, pleaded Not Guilty and was remanded back in Court story pending trial. If convicted this guy will get more porridge than the others because he won’t get the discount for an early guilty plea.
Forum
Reply
Decades of failure led to deadly Grenfell Tower fire ...
at 21:34 5 Sep 2024

Totally agree, the issue will be responsibility and funding, it’s going to come down to who picks up the tab.

For me, the developers, the property managers and the manufacturers need to shell out, but I can’t see that happening so is it down to the taxpayer? I feel sorry for people living in these properties.
Forum
Reply
Decades of failure led to deadly Grenfell Tower fire ...
at 23:04 4 Sep 2024

I’m not convinced the victims and their families will ever see justice.

The report points the finger at the cladding manufacturers, the Coalition government, the subsequent Conservative government, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the Tenant Management Organisation, austerity, Lord Pickles and his deregulation was subject to some criticism as was a lack of centralised product testing, it goes on and on.

What was clear at the outset was the very close connections between some on the RBKC and the government of the day.

I think building standards in the U.K. are very poor - something that’s apparent from the number of reports we see about problems with new builds. We need to revisit Building Regs and the enforcement of standards, the guarantees on new builds should be comprehensive and there should be proper accountability, only then will we see an improvement.

There are people out there who need to be doing serious porridge over this.


The Guardian’s John Crace isn’t everyones cup of tea, but his take on Grenfell is worth a quick read.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/04/remorse-over-grenfell-i

[Post edited 4 Sep 23:17]
Forum
Reply
Decades of failure led to deadly Grenfell Tower fire ...
at 22:39 4 Sep 2024

It wasn’t in high rises, the buildings were supposed to be compartmentalised so fire couldn’t spread quickly, but in Grenfell the fire was on the outside and spread like wildfire.
Please log in to use all the site's facilities

majorraglan


Site Scores

Forum Votes: 2550
Comment Votes: 0
Prediction League: 0
TOTAL: 2550
About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© FansNetwork 2024