BROWN AIDE CONDEMNS "RIGHT WING" LABOUR JUSTICE POLICY

For Immediate Release – Monday 14th February 2011



Attn: NEWS DESKS


POLITICAL / JUSTICE CORRESPONDENTS


LABOUR'S JUSTICE POLICY IS “ILL-CONCEIVED, UNINFORMED & PURELY NEGATIVE”


Commenting on a stinging criticism of Labour’s "knee-jerk" justice policy by a former aide to Gordon Brown, SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell - a member of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee – said it highlighted the lack of honesty and credibility in Labour's justice policy.


According to a report in the Evening News today John Rowan who worked for Gordon Brown until last year's election and has also served on the visiting committee for Edinburgh's Saughton prison, has written to Iain Gray and Richard Baker, describing the party's stance on justice as "knee-jerk" and said there was "unease" within the Labour party over it “echoing the Tories".


In addition he said Scottish Labour's policies conflict with the position of UK party leader Ed Miliband and the recommendations of the prisons commission chaired by former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish.


The comments echo earlier criticisms of Richard Baker by Labour MSPs in 2008.


Commenting Mr Maxwell said:


“With crime at a 32 year low the SNP has been delivering a safer Scotland with its policy to put 1,000 more police officers on our streets. And with fear of crime falling it would appear Labour members are very uneasy at the party's ill-conceived policies.

"The increasing dissent in Labour ranks over justice and over Labour's failure to support the SNP's budget for Scotland is embarrassing so close to an election.


“It also puts them at odds with Ed Miliband and former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish who have criticised the scaremongering rhetoric used by the likes of Richard Baker.


“Richard Baker’s credibility is in tatters. He is clearly out of his depth and lacking the support of party members who know about justice issues.


"The SNP has worked hard to make Scotland safer over the last four years with additional police on the street leading to a 32 year low in crime rates, using the proceeds of crime to invest in our communities and tackling the causes of knife crime.

“Labour's justice policy is based entirely on fear and scaremongering. In contrast the SNP will do what works to make our streets safer."


ENDS

Notes:


In today’s Edinburgh Evening News the following comments were reported by John Rowan:


John Rowan … claimed there was "unease" within the party over its opposition to the SNP's scrapping of short prison sentences and the "soft touch Scotland" rhetoric of leader Iain Gray and justice spokesman Richard Baker.


He said: "People feel we are appealing to populism rather than having a well thought-out policy. We're echoing the Tories."


Mr Rowan, who worked for the former prime minister until last year's election, said the policy adopted by Labour in Scotland was also in conflict with the position of UK party leader Ed Miliband and the recommendations of the prisons commission chaired by former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish.


Mr Rowan, who is generally viewed as a party loyalist, has written to Mr Gray and Mr Baker, describing the party's stance on justice as "knee-jerk reactions".


He continued: "I know that debate is essential in any healthy democracy, but it seems to me that our reported 'policies' are beginning to sound ill-conceived, uninformed and purely negative in tone."


http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/politics/39Right-wing39-justice-policy-of.6718444.jp










On 28th September 2010, at the Labour conference, newly elected Labour leader Ed Miliband said:






"... when Ken Clarke says we need to look at short sentences in prison because of high reoffending rates, I'm not going to say he's soft on crime."






http://www.labour.org.uk/ed-miliband---a-new-generation,2010-09-28










In the Edinburgh Evening News of 18 December 2008 discontent in the Labour party about their Justice Policy was reported:






“But one Labour MSP admits to finding the approach "depressing" and adds: "Anyone who knows anything about it feels uncomfortable with what we're saying."”






http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Ian-Swanson-Ditching-short-prison.4804390.jp