And the current Criminal Justice Bill is a very silly bill indeed, according to its critics, at least as it pertains to the difficult issue of rough sleeping.
As has been picked up by the press, it will criminalise "nuisance" rough sleeping, and allow the police to arrest someone if an "excessive" smell is coming from them or their makeshift bedding, or even if they look like they are preparing to sleep rough. A fine of up to £2,500 may be imposed if they refuse to move on. "Insulting words" are also actionable, even though the world of the rough sleeper isn't well suited to polite discourse about their predicament.
Such odd, if not grotesquely cruel, clauses in the bill have understandably attracted cross-party opposition. The bill has made good progress through the House of Commons so far, but amendments will be tabled when the House returns from recess after 15 April, at the "report" stage. The Lords, a revising chamber designed to improve badly drafted legislation, may also take a view.
Why is the government doing this?
Think of it as Suella Braverman's leaving present to the British people. Before she was sacked (for the second time) as home secretary last November, she made it her mission to sweep the homeless off the streets, and included suitably draconian measures in what was then "her" Criminal Justice Bill.
You may also recall the harsh determination she brought to her mission, expressed in a notorious tweet: "The British people are compassionate. We will always support those who are genuinely homeless. But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice."
Esta historia es de la edición April 04, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 04, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Courageous Brighton rock Man City to reach top four
Brighton staged a sensational late fightback to come from behind and send Manchester City to a fourth consecutive defeat with a pulsating 2-1 win at the Amex Stadium.
Doubt creeps in as England.stung at the death again
Another week, another heartbreak for England and now serious questions must be asked about the direction of the Steve Borthwick project.
'Guys on mopeds were beating up an Israeli... they were looking for Jews'
Football hooligans and ‘antisemitic hit-and-run squads' made for a volatile Amsterdam atmosphere, reports Barney Davis.
Inside 4B - the women's group going on ‘men strike'
Zoë Beaty meets an American who's become a symbol for the growing movement of females rejecting relations with men
Qatar to suspend mediation efforts on Gaza, say officials
Qatar has decided to suspend its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, officials said yesterday, after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a ceasefire deal for Gaza.
Biden bears brunt of blame game among the Democrats
Fingers are pointing at the president after Donald Trump's sweeping victory - but some strategists argue other factors played a part in Kamala Harris's defeat, writes
Chief of staff dubbed ice maiden by Trump will keep 'clowns' out of Oval Office
Informal advisers that dogged first presidency to be got rid of
Coroner's warning of cancel culture after student suicide
A coroner has called on the government to examine the prevalence of \"cancel culture\" on university campuses, after ruling that a 20-year-old Oxford student took his own life after being \"ostracised\" by his peers.
'I did not know you could be born without a uterus'
Andreia Trigo is dedicated to helping others struggling with infertility because of her own diagnosis of MRKH syndrome
Healey says Ukraine war inspired son to join army
The defence secretary has revealed his son joined the army as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the conflict is now “personal”.