Step to legally prevent new ‘two-tier’ sentencing guidelines begins today, justice secretary says
A bill to legally prevent new sentencing guidelines on how ethnic minority criminals should be punished will be introduced today, the justice secretary said.
Shabana Mahmood told MPs in the House of Commons the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence reports) Bill would be presented on Tuesday to stop the guidance coming into effect.
The independent Sentencing Council said a pre-sentence report, the results of which are taken into account when considering a criminal’s sentence, will “usually be necessary” before handing out punishment for someone from an ethnic, cultural or faith minority.
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However, Ms Mahmood called the guidance “unacceptable” and said it amounted to “differential treatment before the law” as she urged the council to reverse it.
The council refused so she said she would legislate to overturn the guidance – which is what she is now doing.
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‘Blatant bias against straight, white men’
After Downing Street said on Monday the government planned to introduce legislation on Tuesday and to push it through quickly, the Sentencing Council suspended the guidance, due to come in today.
Ms Mahmood also announced on Tuesday the government would carry out a review of the Sentencing Council “in the coming months”.
“Should further legislation be required, I shall propose it as part of the upcoming Sentencing Bill,” she added.
The justice secretary acknowledged the council “holds an important position” within the justice system.
She also said pre-sentence reports are “an incredibly vital tool for judges before passing sentence”.
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Conservative justice secretary Robert Jenrick claimed magistrates and judges were only informed of the guidance suspension at midday, so said some may have used the guidance in sentencing that morning.
He accused Ms Mahmood of having “completely lost control of the justice system” and said her “incompetence took this down to the wire”.
But she dismissed his criticisms, saying he had never raised these issues while in government and said communication of the suspension was up to the Sentencing Council.
Mr Jenrick had previously called the guidance “two-tier justice” as he said it would lead to “blatant bias” against Christians and straight white men.
He also argued that it would make “a custodial sentence less likely for those from an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community” – something the council denied.
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Sir Keir Starmer set for Donald Trump trade talks as PM walks diplomatic line between EU allies and US on Gaza
Gaza and transatlantic trade are set to dominate talks between Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer when the pair meet in Scotland on Monday.
Downing Street said the prime minister would discuss “what more can be done to secure the ceasefire [in the Middle East] urgently”, during the meeting at the president’s Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire.
Talks in Qatar over a ceasefire ended on Thursday after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams.
Mr Trump blamed Hamas for the collapse of negotiations as he left the US for Scotland, saying the militant group “didn’t want to make a deal… they want to die”.
Sir Keir has tried to forge close personal ties with the president, frequently praising his actions on the world stage despite clear foreign policy differences between the US and UK.
The approach seemed to pay off in May when Mr Trump announced the agreement of a trade deal with the UK that would see several tariffs lowered.
The two leaders are expected to discuss this agreement when they meet, with the prime minister likely to press the president for a lowering of outstanding tariffs on imports such as steel.
Prior to the visit, the White House said the talks would allow them to “refine the historic US-UK trade deal”.
Extracting promises from the president on the Middle East may be harder though.
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Despite some reports that Mr Trump is growing frustrated with Israel, there is a clear difference in tone between the US and its Western allies.
As he did over the Ukraine war, Sir Keir will have to walk a diplomatic line between the UK’s European allies and the White House.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, the first member of the G7 to do so.
That move was dismissed by Mr Trump, who said it “doesn’t carry any weight”.
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The UK, French and German leaders spoke over the weekend and agreed to work together on the “next phase” in Gaza that would see transitional governance and security arrangements put in place, alongside the large-scale delivery of aid.
Under pressure from members of his own party and cabinet to follow France and signal formal recognition of Palestine, Sir Keir has gradually become more critical of Israel in recent months.
On Friday, the prime minister said “the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible”.
Government sources say UK recognition is a matter of “when, not if”, however, it’s thought Downing Street wants to ensure any announcement is made at a time when it can have the greatest diplomatic impact.
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Cabinet ministers will be convened in the coming days, during the summer recess, to discuss the situation in Gaza.
The UK has also been working with Jordan to air drop supplies, after Israel said it would allow foreign countries to provide aid to the territory.
President Trump’s trip to Scotland comes ahead of his second state visit to the UK in September.
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Downing Street says Ukraine will also likely be discussed in the meeting with both men reflecting on what can be done to force Russia back to the negotiating table.
After the meeting at Turnberry, the prime minister will travel with the president to Aberdeen for a private engagement.
Mr Trump is also expected to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney while in the country.
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