Why we need a Conservative government (Part 1): Tough sentencing

Tim Montgomerie

Nick Boles MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg and John Major all want the Coalition to continue after the General Election. In a new series ConservativeHome will start collecting reasons why we need a Conservative government after this Coalition government has completed its vital work of fixing the nation's economy.

Reason one is the need to get a grip on persistent and serious offending.

This from today's Sunday Express:

"Half of all criminals found guilty of a serious crime escaped a prison sentence despite having more than 100 previous convictions or cautions. Shocking figures seen by the Sunday Express reveal offenders convicted of violent crimes, sexual offences, robbery, burglary and drugs crimes are getting community or suspended sentences."

Conservative MP Philip Davies told the newspaper:

“This is a complete scandal. These people have been through community sentence after community sentence and are still offending. The last thing these people need is another community sentence. It is just ludicrous.”

Mr Davies warned ministers were in for a “rude awakening” over their sentencing policy, which was “a million miles away from public opinion”.

> Some facts about the Coalition's dangerous prisons policy