Bevan Foundation rISSUeE 18 WINTEvR 2011 iew Challenging Times Policing • Poverty • Public Services Pensions • Scotland • Silk Commission Homelessness • Health and social care Looked-after children • Further education Join the Bevan Foundation Join us and be at the forefront of new thinking to shape the future of Wales. Members of the Bevan Foundation come from all walks of life and include businesses, community groups, local authorities, trades unions, politicians from all parties and individuals of all ages. 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Stroke: a human rights issue 32-33 Nick Bourne 14-15 Peter Mackie and Suzanne Fitzpatrick The Silk Commission: devolution’s last word? Homlessness legislation: the landmark review 34-35 Michelle Matheron 16-17 Mike Hedges Voices for change Lessons from further education 36 Fanta Bamba 18-19 Dave Adamson A peaceful life in Wales A polycentric south east Wales 38-39 NEWS 20-22 Mark Barry 40 Find out Connecting the region more about … Walker Smith Way 23-25 Alun Jones From docks to Dr Who Thanks to Peter Slater for photos. From the Editor The thread running through all the articles in this issue of Review is “challenge”. From the challenge to the current devolution settlement raised by Scotland to people’s ability to challenge the political system, from the challenge facing public finances to the challenges facing the various public services, and the considerable challenges faced by individuals, families and communities – all this and more is explored admirably by our many distinguished contributors. ‘ ‘‘ The agenda is massive, and despite the numerous calls by contributors for the Bevan Foundation ‘ to address it, we simply do not have enough resources to do so. We are grateful to our members and advertisers for your support to date – but we need more support to take these critical issues forward. Please help the Bevan Foundation to make an impact by encouraging others to support us as well. Victoria Winckler Director 1 C RIME AND JUSTICE Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime: and tough on those trying to stop it Ian Blair , Lord of Boughton, former Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and member of the Bevan Foundation, questions the proposed reforms to policing and argues for a longer view to tackle the problems of anti-social behaviour and crime. 2 Bevan Foundation review n 1993, an until then little-known shadow Home constabulary and magistracy, working with the Secretary, one Tony Blair, stole the issue of law agencies and agents of social cohesion, the Iand order from the Conservatives by his churches, the housing associations and the trade recognition that crime mattered to the working unions, together with the caretakers, park-keepers, class and with a clarion declaration of the need to bus conductors and families, would prevail. be ‘tough on crime and tough on the causes of The first blow to this was the Miners’ Strike, crime’. which many interpreted as the police becoming In the 16 years that have followed, crime, anti- more of a national, London-driven institution than social behaviour and criminal justice have become one in tune with community concerns. But even centre stage of British politics in a way which after that, a consensus existed at a parliamentary would have been anathema just a decade before. and local government level that matters were best Perhaps only the economy as a whole and, to a dealt with in a non-party way. Even as the Miners’ lesser degree, education and war have occupied so Strike was in progress, two contrasting events are many column inches and are talked about anything instructive. Early in the decade, there was much like so much on the doorsteps. It is not surprising public concern over a higher- that the Coalition Government has decided to than-normal number of legislate about some of these issues: it is, however, neonatal deaths at ....the basic facts unfortunate that its flagship in this policy area, the Birmingham Children’s remain that most Police and Social Responsibility Bill, has at its heart Hospital. In an acrimonious ‘criminals come the creation of directly elected Police and Crime debate in the House of from socially and Commissioners, a strategy to which the strongest Commons, the then health educationally of objections have been mounted by local secretary was forced to deprived authorities (including Wales, where even the view defend his position after being backgrounds. of the Assembly has been overridden). accused of not doing enough There are four interlinked issues: policing and its to address the problem. A accountability structures, the handling of anti- short while later, West social behaviour, the local face of criminal justice Midlands Police accidentally shot a toddler dead and the way all three are portrayed in the media. I during an armed raid. In contrast to the health will deal with each in turn but the important point case, there was no political disagreement over the I would seek to make is that they are all interlinked – and all interlinked by issues of class and social exclusion. For the basic facts remain that most criminals come from socially and educationally deprived backgrounds, as the data on those arrested in the riots proves beyond doubt, and that the political and media debate about what should be done about them, to them and for them has polarised over the last two decades between a model essentially concerned with crime control and one concerned with diversion and reparation. After the Second World War, it was possible to discern a meeting of the minds between One Nation Toryism and old Labour. There were two broad agreements, first, that matters of law and order were not amenable to party politicking and, second, that most offending, if dealt with a proper mixture of social deference and intelligent interference, would be grown out of. A local 3 A whole series of present policies ‘point to the likelihood of the failure of integrated position adopted by the then creation of the idea of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders intervention. Home Secretary: that this was an by Labour was an acknowledgement of this, as the operational matter for the local opposition to them by both the Libertarian Right chief constable – a very serious and Liberal Left went on to prove. matter indeed, but not one for The dreadful case of Sarah Pilkington near party politics. The same position would have been Leicester was the nadir of how difficult all adopted by almost all police committees, as police this can be. At its heart was the sustained authorities were then called: whatever the bullying of a single parent with two children persuasion of the majority party on the with learning difficulties at the hands of a committees, there was a consensus that party gang, a significant member of which was a politics should be left at the door of the meeting child also with such difficulties, at the same when it came to policing. special school as the two victims. The police Enter Tony Blair. It was as shadow Home were called repeatedly to deal with what Secretary in 1993 that he pledged to be “tough on were, individually, petty acts of spiteful crime, tough on the causes of crime”. Speaking in vandalism: they failed to pick up the the aftermath of the murder of the toddler James pattern, probably because they did not see Bulger, Blair wanted to take back policing as an it as a ‘policing’ problem. In that they were issue from the Conservatives. (The Tories believed partially right: this was a case crying out for that policing, like defence, was their natural integrated action by housing, social services possession.) What followed was a bidding war over and education.