Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced that she is dropping legislation to pave the way for elected police chiefs, after a chorus of protest from senior police figures and Labour politicians in local government.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Home Secretary said: “Looking at what has happened Read more
The race to succeed Sir Ian Blair as Metropolitan Police commissioner has come down to a shortlist of four candidates.
Sir Paul Stephenson is the frontrunner, but was damaged by the decision to authorised the investigation into Damian Green. His most serious contender is former senior Met officer Sir Hugh Read more
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has apologised for being “too quick off the mark” to publish knife crime statistics, apprently showing a drop in attacks on teens, which were not ready.
Number 10 had already admitted that it was wrong to release the latest data on knife crime levels early after Read more
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today made a statement to the House of Commons about the arrest of Damian Green MP and the police search of his parliamentary offices, which took place without a warrant with the apparent agreement of the Speaker, Michael Martin.
Jacqui Smith insisted again that she had no knowledge of the arrest before it took place, telling MPs: “I have made clear that neither I nor any other Government minister knew until after the arrest of the Honourable Member that he or any other Honourable Member was the subject of a police investigation.
“Even if I had been informed, I believe it would have been wholly inappropriate for me to seek to intervene in the operational decisions being taken by the police.
“I don’t do that and I should not do that.”
As well as outbursts from Conservative and Lib Dem MPs, normally loyal former Home Secretary John Reid showed the irritation of many MPs on the Labour benches when he said: “I have to say I’m surprised, to say the least, that she was not informed that her opposite number effectively was about to be arrested. I cannot think that if I had been told that this had been done after the event that I would have remained as placid as she has in the circumstances. So, notwithstanding the fact that she has said her judgment is that even if she had been informed she would not have changed, I do not think we should take that as a ruling that someone in her position should never be informed. For my part, I would have wanted to be informed and to have expressed a view on it.”
The current Home Secretary countered: “On the subject of placidity, sometimes I think it behoves home secretaries to deal calmly with issues such as this one.”
There is also rising anger Read more
Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said the licensing laws for lap dancing clubs need to be changed. She insists the clubs should be in the same category as sex shops and peep shows, rather than alongside pubs and cafes, which is the current situation.
She Read more
The Home Office has announced that it will invest in 10,000 Taser stun guns to be carried by 30,000 police officers in forces across England and Wales. Tasers deliver a powerful electric shock that can disable suspects temporarily.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was proud that police Read more
Simon Darby, the deputy leader and spokesman of the British National Party, is on the salaried staff at London’s City Hall, it has been revealed. Mr Darby is paid £16,000 a year as a personal assistant to BNP Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook, who was elected earlier this year.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is to introduce new legislation to make men who pay for sex with prostitutes who are controlled by pimps face a prison sentence.
Jacqui Smith said: “My proposal is that men should think twice about paying for sex. The reason they should do that is Read more
Home secretary Jacqui Smith has said that there is huge public demand for identity cards and that people will have the opportunity to pre-register for the cards, fully available in 2012, within the next few months.
Smith said:
“I regularly have people coming up to me Read more
Fundamentalists and extremists who spread messages of violence will find it harder to gain entry to the UK, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has pledged.
Ms Smith is introducing a “presumption in favour of exclusion” to make it easier in the future for the authorities to prevent extremists such as Abu Hamza and Yusuf al-Qaradawi from entering the UK. Read more
