'Mentor' For Every Inmate Released From Jail

Offenders should be "met at the prison gate" by mentors who can help them escape a life of crime, the Justice Secretary will say later.

Chris Grayling will set out plans for a major extension of mentoring provided by voluntary groups and private companies on a payment-by-results basis.

In a speech, he will call for an "enlightened" approach to dealing with criminals and decry the "tragedy" of inmates leaving jail with no idea how to get their lives back on track.

"Whether you are the hardest of hardliners on crime, or the most liberal observer, every single one of us has a vested interest in an enlightened approach to reducing reoffending," he will say.

"We can't just keep recycling people round and round the system."

David Cameron has called for a "rehabilitation revolution" under which virtually all prisoners get help breaking the cycle of reoffending.

Mr Grayling says offenders must be given every chance to reform

Currently only those who are jailed for more than a year are given rehabilitation, but the Prime Minister wants all but a small number of high-risk prisoners to receive support by the end of 2015.

Mr Grayling will say today that mentors - including reformed offenders, or "old lags" - can help prison leavers with issues like housing, getting a job and tackling drug and alcohol problems.

"When someone leaves prison, I want them already to have a mentor in place to help them get their lives back together," he will say.

"I want them to be met at the prison gate, to have a place to live sorted out, to have rehab or training lined up, and above all someone who knows where they are, what they are doing, and can be a wise friend to prevent them from reoffending.

"Often it will be the former offender gone straight who is best placed to steer the young prisoner back onto the straight and narrow - the former gang member best placed to prevent younger members from rushing straight back to rejoin the gang on the streets.

"There are some really good examples out there of organisations making good use of the old lags in stopping the new ones. We need more of that for the future."

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Women Bishops: Church Of England To Vote

Debate: The Vote On Women Bishops

Updated: 2:06am UK, Tuesday 20 November 2012

Two members of the General Synod - both female - put the case for and against women bishops in the Church of England.

:: The Case Against

Lorna Ashworth, General Synod Member From The Chichester Diocese

I am one of thousands of women who believe that the vote on women bishops should not go through today.

Is this because I am misogynist? Is that even possible? Rather, my three reasons to vote against the legislation are as follows:

First, through my study of scripture and in my desire to be obedient to God, I believe that leadership roles in the church are reserved for men.

This is not to say that women are not equal to men or that they do not have the skill or ability to do the job, but that in this sphere, the position of leadership is reserved for men whom God has called.

Secondly, the legislation on the table does not serve its intended purpose. Although it will make way for women bishops, which is the mind of the church, it offers no secure assurances that traditionalists, like myself, will have a future place in the church.

The measure relies on a code of practice (which has yet to be agreed upon) to offer a scheme of oversight for parishes that request it. This will vary from diocese to diocese depending on the interpretation of the code.

The measure does not stipulate that the male bishops providing oversight for the requesting parish needs to hold or have sympathy with their theological position. This removes any certainty that bishops holding traditional views will be selected in the future.

Finally, the proponents of women bishops are asking traditionalists to trust them; as if somehow desiring proper provision within legislation fosters mistrust.

Trusting the proponents is a big ask when circulated papers to General Synod members call my theological conviction a "non-gospel" theology and that in the future it would no longer be appropriate to select, train or ordain anyone who does not conform to this new position within the church.

How could I even consider a yes vote?

:: The Case In Favour

Christina Rees, General Synod Member from the Chichester Diocese

I have been sent a range of emails about the debate on women bishops.

I am an elected representative on the Archbishops' Council, and someone who has been closely involved with the subject of women's ordination for a number of years.

Synod has been studying and thinking about the issue of having women as bishops since 2000, and since then has indicated its support for removing the legal obstacles to consecrating women and has also affirmed that having women as bishops is consonant with the faith of our Church.

A few years ago we rejected a range of options, but accepted having a statutory Code of Practice, to include arrangements for those who remain opposed to ordaining women.

For better or worse, we are the group of people, along with the members of the Houses of Clergy and Bishops, who will be voting on the Women Bishops Measure.

I believe we can have confidence that the Measure will open the way to women bishops, and that those who in conscience cannot accept the ministry of ordained women will have a clear way of requesting an alternative bishop or priest.

The Measure may not be perfect, but I know how carefully it has been drafted and I am confident it will deliver what all of us would like.

I have spoken with some of my friends who do not accept women's ordained ministry and they have agreed that it provides what they need.

The mantra of "not good enough" is simply not the case.

I realise there is a gap between where I am and where some others are on this issue, but I do not believe that gap can be filled with more legislation.

The only thing that can fill the gap is trust. I hope we will agree going forward and show the world that Christians have a way of disagreeing and yet still retaining our love for one another and our faith in God and the Holy Spirit to lead us in this process.

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Cheaper Power Tariffs Under Energy Shake-Up

Energy Secretary Ed Davey will flesh out proposals later to ensure all households are on the cheapest gas and electricity tariffs available.

After weeks of confusion about the Government's plans to simplify the market and reduce bills for hard-pressed families, the Liberal Democrat is expected to use an appearance before the Energy Select Committee to give more details.

It is thought energy firms may be prevented from offering more than four tariffs and be required to automatically move customers on to the cheapest one.

The move comes amid long-standing concerns that many households are paying hundreds of pounds a year more than is necessary for gas and electricity because of the confusing array of tariffs.

Ed Davey insists the Government backs a low carbon economy

The issue has become more acute in recent years because of rising wholesale prices that have seen energy charges soar.

Meanwhile, MPs have called on Chancellor George Osborne to reassure investors the Treasury is committed to moving towards a greener economy.

Mr Osborne must use the autumn statement next month to end the uncertainty over the direction of energy policy, which is undermining investment in the UK's power sector, the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said.

MPs say George Osborne must "end the uncertainty"

The EAC also added its voice to calls from business leaders, trade unions and green groups for the Energy Bill, due to be published before the end of November, to include a target to slash emissions from the power sector by 2030.

The cross-party committee's chairwoman Joan Walley said: "The Treasury must end the uncertainty on energy policy and give investors and businesses the confidence to seize the enormous opportunities presented by new clean technologies."

Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns Andrew Pendleton said: "MPs are right to slam the Chancellor - his gas-fuelled economic strategy will send fuel bills soaring, jeopardise jobs and scupper UK efforts to tackle climate change.

"The Treasury seems hell-bent on killing off Britain's growing green economy, despite the tens of thousands of jobs it can create and business leaders' group CBI's pleas for more backing."

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Empty Shops Rate Sets 'Alarm Bells Ringing'

One in 10 shops in UK high streets and shopping centres were empty in October - the worst figure since the British Retail Consortium's nationwide survey began in July 2011.

As retailers continue to battle against stagnating sales and rising costs, the new figures showed last month's town centre vacancy rate at 11.3%.

A fifth of store units are currently empty in Northern Ireland, while the rate for Wales is 15.1% and for the North & Yorkshire region the rate is 14.6%. Greater London had 7.6% of its units lying empty.

BRC director general Stephen Robertson said the latest figures would set "alarm bells ringing" and the financial challenges for both customers and retailers were far from over.

Big brands including JJB Sports, Clinton Cards, Blacks Leisure, Game and Peacocks have either disappeared or scaled back their presence in town centres after going into administration.

And the collapse of electricals chain Comet this month will be another blow.

Mr Robertson renewed his call for Chancellor George Osborne to freeze business rates, which are set to increase by 2.6% in April.

He said: "Many retailers are battling stagnating sales and rising costs, and next year's threatened business rates increase can only make matters worse.

"If the Government wants to breathe life back into our town centres and ensure the retail industry can play its full role in job creation, it needs to freeze rates in 2013."

In response, a Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "Empty shops are a wasted economic opportunity that spoil the town centre.

"That is why we are proposing to scrap the damaging red tape that is keeping so many shops boarded up, allowing young entrepreneurs to open pop-up shops and turn the high streets into an exciting start-up launchpad.

"The best thing Government can do to help businesses is to provide them with a stable economic environment, which is why we want to protect local firms from soaring tax bills.

"We've postponed the revaluation, which will stop soaring tax bills for 800,000 firms, and given businesses the option of spreading this year's increases out over three years.

"Councils also have the power to grant discretionary discounts, and we've temporarily doubled small business rate relief, meaning approximately a third of a million businesses - including many small shops - are currently paying no rates at all."

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Business Bosses Slam 'School Exams Factory'

Britain's education system is fostering a "cult of the average", failing to help the brightest youngsters or those most in need, business leaders have warned.

In a new report, the CBI says too many children fall behind and never catch up, and that in some cases, secondary schools have become little more than exam factories.

Decades of "patchwork" reforms have confused schools, encouraged a tick box culture that has put off teachers and resulted in a narrow focus on exams and league tables, the UK's biggest business group adds.

The report calls for a major overhaul to ensure that all children can succeed.

It recommends radical changes, such as reducing the importance of GCSEs and making A Levels the main exam for school leavers, and moving away from league tables in favour of Ofsted reports.

"The education system fosters a cult of the average: too often failing to stretch the most able or support those that need most help," the CBI says.

CBI director-general John Cridland said while businesses want school leavers to have a rigorous education, they also want it to be "rounded and grounded".

"Today we have a system where, sadly, a large minority of our young people fall behind," he said.

"They fall behind and never catch up. It's not the fault of any individual concerned. It's not the fault of children, parents or teachers. It's a system failure. It's not acceptable any more than it's not acceptable that the top 10% are not stretched enough."

Mr Cridland added: "This generation of young people are as streetwise as any, but sometimes in the education system we're not always bottling that.

"In some cases secondary schools have become an exam factory. Qualifications are important, but we also need people who have self-discipline and serve customers well."

Ministers have announced plans to scrap GCSEs and replace them with new English Baccalaureate Certificates in English, maths and science. Reviews of A Levels and the national curriculum are also under way.

Mr Cridland said: "Government reforms are headed in the right direction, but are not sufficient on their own. They need to go further and they need to go faster."

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Report: Young Brits More Likely To Get Drunk

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Young people in the UK are more likely to have been drunk by the age of 13 than those in almost any other country.

A report has also found that 15 and 16-year-olds are more likely to have been drunk in the last month than their foreign counterparts.

The survey carried out for the charity Alcohol Concern found only youngsters in Estonia, Malta and the Isle of Man drink more than young people in the UK.

Sixteen-year-old Charmaine McGivern, from Wythenshawe in Greater Manchester, told Sky News she started drinking when she was 13 with a group of older friends.

"They were saying to me 'drink' and because I was younger I took the drink and I was drinking and it was in one of my mate's houses. They were persuasive and everything, telling me to drink, telling me that it was fun, but then I got the hang of drinking."

She described how she ended up in hospital when she was 14 because she was so drunk she fell and broke her ankle.

"It wasn't a nice feeling being in hospital because I had to be on a drip. And it was from there I noticed that I was turning into an alcoholic and basically I was on the booze … and I found out I had alcohol poisoning."

She no longer drinks and says the damage alcohol did to her health has put her off it for life.

But the study found in general young people "drink to get drunk" with 63% of 16 to 24-year-olds agreeing that cheap alcohol promotions encourage then to drink to excess.

In March 1,000 young people aged between 16 and 24 were interviewed by research agency YouthSite for the study. They repeatedly told researchers it is "cheaper to buy a three-litre bottle of cider than buy a ticket to go to the cinema".

The study is being published to mark the start of Alcohol Awareness Week. It claims that alcohol is 44% more affordable now in relative terms than it was in 1980.

Campaigners say it is time to set a minimum price on alcohol

It also found that there has been a 25% increase in the number of off-licenced premises, which means "cheap" alcohol is more available.

Alcohol Concern's programme policy manager, Tom Smith, said: "This report is further proof of the impact cheap alcohol is having on the health and wellbeing of our young people.

"They have told us loud and clear that the way in which alcohol is priced influences the way they drink. We also know that our young people are more likely to have experienced being drunk by the age of 13 than their peers in almost any other European country.

"This survey shows just how urgent action on minimum unit pricing is and we're calling on the Government to set a 50p minimum unit price without delay."

Alcohol Concern chief executive Eric Appleby said: "Having open and frank conversations as a society about the way we drink has never been more important and this report highlights that.

"We know that as a nation we love talking about alcohol and we all have an opinion about it, but are we having the right conversations?

"We've really got to get this right for the sake of future generations. I hope people will embrace this opportunity to get talking and thinking about their drinking."

A Home Office spokesman said: "This is further evidence that cheap alcohol contributes to irresponsible drinking. Introducing a minimum unit price is just one of a range of measures the Government is taking to tackle the minority who cause alcohol-related crime and disorder in our local communities.

"We have already introduced early morning restriction orders to curb alcohol sales, a late night levy to ensure those selling alcohol help pay towards the costs of policing and we have made it easier for local authorities to tackle problematic licenced premises."

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Benefits Cap 'Immoral And Socially Divisive'

Plans for a £500-a-week cap on household benefits have been criticised in a savage attack by the former coalition minister for children and families.

Sarah Teather accused ministers of seeking to "gain popularity at the expense of children's lives" by pushing through a measure they knew was popular but ineffective.

The Lib Dem faced calls for her sacking as children's minister in February after she missed a key vote on the reforms which she had publicly questioned.

She eventually departed from the government ranks in September's reshuffle.

Speaking to The Observer, she said: "I think deliberately to stoke up envy and division between people in order to gain popularity at the expense of children's lives is immoral.

"It has no good intent."

She went on: "There are all sorts of things you have to do when times are tight that have negative consequences but you do them for good purposes.

"But to do something for negative purposes that also has negative consequences - that is immoral."

She added: "I don't think it was even remotely conceived as a financial cost-cutting device. I think it was conceived as a political device to demonstrate whose side you are on."

She said she was "terrified" about the prospects for many families who would be forced to move to cheaper areas where they would find it harder to find work.

"My fear is that a lot of people will effectively just disappear from the area in which they were living. I think some very horrible things are going to happen," she said, questioning how well child protection and education services would keep track of youngsters.

But a spokesman for Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith accused Ms Teather of hugely-misinformed scaremongering.

"The criticisms Sarah Teather is levelling against the Government's welfare reforms are hugely misinformed and therefore result in needless scaremongering," he told the newspaper.

"It's not fair or right that benefits claimants receive higher incomes than hard-working families who are striving to get on in life.

"Our reforms bring fairness back to the system while ensuring we support the most vulnerable."

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Prisoner Voting Ban: MPs To Debate Again

MPs are to be given another say on whether to give prisoners the vote, as the deadline for Britain to comply with a European ruling on the controversial issue looms.

The UK's current blanket ban on prisoners voting has been judged as unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and officials in Strasbourg have given the Government until Friday to comply with the ruling.

Last February, the Commons called by an overwhelming margin of 234 to 22 for the blanket ban to be maintained, while David Cameron has flatly ruled out the option of handing criminals back their democratic rights.

MPs will this week be given another chance to vote on the issue when the Government introduces a draft bill.

The bill, to be published on Thursday, will give MPs three options, according to The Daily Telegraph.

They will be votes for prisoners who have been imprisoned for four years or less, votes for prisoners who have been imprisoned for six months or less, or no votes for prisoners at all.

There is a risk that this week's Commons vote could set up another clash with the ECHR, which could fine the Government if it does not comply with its ruling.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has warned against defying the Strasbourg court, saying its ruling imposes an international legal obligation on the UK.

But the Prime Minister has made it clear he would not be letting prisoners get the vote.

David Cameron told the Commons last month: "I do not want prisoners to have the vote, and they should not get the vote - I am very clear about that.

"If it helps to have another vote in Parliament on another resolution to make it absolutely clear and help put the legal position beyond doubt, I am happy to do that.

"But no one should be in any doubt: prisoners are not getting the vote under this Government."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has said Parliament has the right in law to tell the ECHR that it does not accept its ruling.

But added there would be "consequences" for the UK's position in Europe if MPs do chose to defy the judgement.

In 2005, the ECHR said it was up to individual countries to decide which prisoners should be denied the right to vote from jail, but that a total ban was illegal.

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British Airways 'Twitter Account Hacked'

British Airways has launched an investigation after its Twitter account was apparently hacked and an offensive message retweeted.

The official BA Twitter account seemingly retweeted an offensive and racist message on Saturday afternoon.

After the offensive retweet was deleted, staff at the airline then tweeted an apology.

It said: "Apologies for the last RT. We are sorry for any offence caused and are investigating how this may have happened."

Within minutes, hundreds of Twitters users resent the retweet and later more than 160 followers had retweeted the apology.

The BA account has more than 210,000 followers.

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Corby By-Election: Labour Takes Tory Seat

Did Anyone Care About Police Elections?

Updated: 7:39pm UK, Friday 16 November 2012

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor

The most memorable thing about these elections in England and Wales (but not London) is that not many voters cared about them.

Turnouts in the first ever Police and Crime Commissioner polls were an all-time low for a national election, averaging less than one in five and falling as low as 12% in some areas.

In Newport, one polling station went all day without a visitor. The turnout in the parliamentary election in Manchester Central of just 18.1% was an all-time low for a by-election to choose an MP.

The Electoral Commission and the Electoral Reform Society have criticised the government  for ignoring advice and staging the elections for the unfamiliar police commissioners in the dark and cold days of mid-November.

The Prime Minister brushed aside such criticisms pointing out that there are now 41 elected officials with a direct mandate to supervise local police forces where before there were none.

Mr Cameron predicted that when these elections are next held turnout will go up - a near certainty since they are likely next time to be simultaneous with council elections.

But in truth, such niggles are the least of the headaches which these elections have given David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The coalition parties fared dismally in the three parliamentary by-elections which took place this week.

In Cardiff South and Manchester Central two veteran MPs - Alun Michael and Tony Lloyd - slipped out of their parliamentary seats smoothly, to be elected as Police Commissioners in their areas. Labour comfortably held the safe seats they left behind.

But in the weathervane parliamentary constituency of Corby, where shooting star Tory MP Louise Mensch quit to spend more time with her family in New York, the Conservatives were soundly punished.

A swing of 12.67% from blue to red, handed Labour its first by-election victory over the Tories for 15 years – a time when Tony Blair was cruising towards his first landslide General Election victory.

The Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps MP blamed the Mensch factor and claimed that there had been much bigger by-election swings in the past.

That is certainly true but not much comfort for him. Fed into a national trend, a Corby-type swing would see Prime Minister Ed Miliband in Number Ten presiding over a Labour majority of more than 100.

Corby's message to the Deputy Prime Minister was even starker. The Liberal Democrats were forced into fourth place by UKIP, and lost their deposit in spite of demanding two recounts. Across the country in the police elections the party fared little better.

Visiting Corby for a victory parade, Mr Miliband was quick to stress that he has much work still to do. But he claimed that Middle England is "putting its trust in a One Nation Labour Party" because it feels let down by David Cameron and the Conservatives.

Factoring-in the police commissioner contests with the by-elections, it's easy to see why Mr Miliband is being cautious. There is plenty of voter disenchantment, but it seems to be with all three of the mainstream parties.

In spite of their comparative lack of resources, independents have done well; elected Mayor in Bristol and Commissioner in North Wales, Dorset, and Hampshire, where former Tory minister Michael Mates was defeated.

In Humberside, the best-known face of all, former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott, was forced into a nail-biting second round count-off, which he lost.

So, most voters didn't care and those who did were grumpy with mainstream politicians; typical mid-term blues, perhaps. But also a big problem for David Cameron who created these police commissioner elections which have brought little comfort to his party.

A Conservative recovery in time for the 2015 General Election remains entirely possible.

But at this mid-point of the parliament, the Governor of the Bank of England says the economy is much weaker than hoped for, Britain is heading towards a major clash with its EU partners over budgets, the press are in full cry against post-Leveson regulation and there are at least two big mid-term votes to go - 2014's European Parliament election and the Scottish referendum vote.

No wonder Tory MPs are restless.

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