Connect with us

Published

on

Boris Johnson has said he cannot guarantee that targets to improve rape prosecution and conviction rates set out in the government’s Rape Review will be met.

Plans set out in the report, which was commissioned in 2019 and published in June of this year, said the volume of rape cases going to court should return to “at least 2016 levels” when there were 5,190 prosecutions and 2,991 convictions.

But speaking to Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on Tuesday, the prime minister said achieving this by 2024 would be “incredibly tough”.

FILE IMAGE
Britain's Justice Secretary Robert Buckland arrives at Downing Street in London, Britain February 11, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Image:
Former justice secretary Robert Buckland has previously said he is ‘deeply ashamed’ by the report’s findings

“We will do everything that we can, we are throwing everything at this,” the PM said.

Mr Johnson also refused to confirm that he could look a rape victim in the eye and tell them they had a high chance of achieving justice.

“I want everybody to have that confidence and at the moment I have got to tell you that the answer to that is no I don’t think people do have enough confidence in the criminal justice system to deal with that accusation, those reports fast enough,” the PM said.

“And I don’t think people have a feeling that the police are handling these issues fast enough either. And that has, certainly, lead to this feeling of fury, frustration, betrayal on the part of millions of people – most of them women – about what is happening.”

More on Priti Patel

Priti Patel has admitted feeling 'deeply ashamed' by the findings of the review
Image:
Priti Patel vowed to make tackling violence against women and girls her ‘priority’

Mr Johnson disputed that declining levels of prosecutions and convictions are the fault of his government for cuts to the justice system, saying “the phenomenon today is not just a question of public money”.

This is in stark contrast to former justice secretary Robert Buckland who, following the review’s publication, admitted budget cuts were partly to blame for convictions falling to a record low in recent years.

Speaking in June, Mr Buckland said he was “deeply ashamed” by the report’s findings.

Asked whether he feels the same way, the PM told Sky News he is “certainly not happy with the way that things have been going”.

The prime minister added that he is “totally fed up” with low rape prosecution levels and that the gap between a case being raised and a sentence being reached is “far, far too long”.

“We’ve got to fix that,” he said, noting that the government must “simplify” the system.

Boris Johnson
Image:
The PM said the gap between a case being raised and sentencing is ‘far, far too long’

The PM said “things are actually starting to improve”, but that he wants to see “much, much more” being done.

Mr Johnson continued: “We are putting many more prosecutors in and have done. I don’t think it is always and everywhere a question of more public money.”

Last week, Home Secretary Priti Patel vowed that tackling violence against women and girls is her “priority” as she announced a further £25m will be allocated to local projects aimed at making public spaces safer.

Just days after Met Police officer Wayne Couzens was jailed for life for raping and murdering marketing executive Sarah Everard, Ms Patel promised action in areas “where women and girls say they feel most unsafe”.

Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

The prime minister also played down concerns about rising inflation levels and said his government are instead focussing on the “global economic system that is coming back to life very rapidly”.

Pushed on the matter a further two times, he added: “People have been worried about inflation for a very long time, I am looking at robust economic growth – and by the way, those fears have been unfounded.”

Continue Reading

Politics

PM faces threat of major rebellion during key vote today

Published

on

By

PM faces threat of major rebellion during key vote today

Sir Keir Starmer continues to face the threat of a major rebellion during a key vote on welfare reforms later – despite making last-minute concessions to disgruntled Labour MPs.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has confirmed that all existing claimants of the personal independence payment (PIP), the main disability benefit, will be protected from changes to eligibility.

The combined value of the standard Universal Credit allowance and the health top-up will rise “at least in line with inflation” every year of this parliament.

And an additional £300m for employment support for sick and disabled people in 2026 has been announced, which will rise every year after.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Welfare cuts ‘needed to be made’

Ms Kendall has also promised that a consultation into PIP – “co-produced” with disabled people – will be published next autumn.

She said the U-turn on welfare cuts will cost taxpayers about £2.5bn by 2030 – less than half the £4.8bn the government had expected to save with its initial proposals.

Modelling by Ms Kendall’s own department, released yesterday, suggested the proposals would push 150,000 more people into poverty by 2030, down from the 250,000 estimated under the original plan.

More from Politics

But after announcing the U-turns, Labour MPs were still publicly saying they could not back the plans as they do not go far enough to allay their concerns.

Disabilities minister Stephen Timms would not say he was “confident” the proposals would pass the Commons when asked on Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge.

“We’ve got a very strong package, I certainly hope it passes,” he replied.

Read more: What are the concessions to the welfare reform bill?

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘Disabled people thrown under the bus’

A total of 86 charities united yesterday to call on MPs to reject the reforms, saying they will harm disabled people and calling it “a political choice”.

The likes of Oxfam, Child Action Poverty Group, Mind and Shelter said the bill has been brought to a vote without consulting disabled people and without any assessment “of its impact on health and employment outcomes”.

When asked to name “a single” disability organisation in favour of the reforms, Ms Kendall declined to do so.

Several Labour MPs indicated they would still vote against the changes, leaving the government in the dark over how big a rebellion it still may face.

Ms Kendall tried to allay their fears, telling MPs: “I believe we have a fair package, a package that protects existing claimants because they’ve come to rely on that support.”

Richard Burgon presented a petition to parliament yesterday evening against the cuts, signed by more than 77,000 people.

Several Labour MPs questioned why the vote was going ahead before the review into PIP is published – including Rachael Maskell, who said she could not “countenance sick and disabled people being denied support” and added: “It is a matter of conscience.”

Connor Naismith said the concessions “undoubtedly improve efforts to secure welfare reform which is fair”, but added: “Unfortunately, I do not believe these concessions yet go far enough.”

Nadia Whittome
Image:
Labour rebel Nadia Whittome said the government was ‘ignoring’ disabled people

Nadia Whittome accused the government of “ignoring” disabled people and urged ministers to go “back to the drawing board”.

Ian Byrne told the Commons he will vote against the “cruel cuts” to disability benefits because the “so-called concessions go nowhere near far enough”.

The vote will take place this evening, with coverage on Sky News’ Politics Hub live blog and on TV.

Continue Reading

Politics

Circle applies for US trust bank charter to manage its USDC reserve

Published

on

By

Circle applies for US trust bank charter to manage its USDC reserve

Circle applies for US trust bank charter to manage its USDC reserve

Other crypto firms are also reportedly considering applying for a national bank charter, following in the footsteps of Anchorage Digital Bank, which received a license in 2021.

Continue Reading

Politics

US Supreme Court will not review IRS case involving Coinbase user data

Published

on

By

US Supreme Court will not review IRS case involving Coinbase user data

US Supreme Court will not review IRS case involving Coinbase user data

A lower court ruling will stand in a case involving a Coinbase user who filed a lawsuit against the IRS after the crypto exchange turned over transaction data.

Continue Reading

Trending