Blunkett pledges to stay tough
In his speech to the Labour Party conference the Home Secretary David Blunkett said he would continue taking tough decisions.
The speech also contained a number of new policy and funding announcements. On funding, he promised £90 million for the security services, £320 million extra for the prison and probation services, and that £50 million will be brought forward to allow the planned recruitment of community support officers to be brought forward so they can be in place for March next year.
On policies, he promised to bring forward a new Bill to cover corporate killing and legislation to allow the local media to identify those who have breached anti-social behaviour orders and residential rehabilitation to pick up evicted families and work with them before they are re-housed into the community. Before re-housing, both the parents and children will be required to reach and sign an acceptable behaviour contract.
Building on comments made yesterday by Tony Blair, Mr Blunkett said that Labour will initiate secure border controls and an electronic surveillance scheme to monitor and register all those entering and leaving the country. Work will start on this scheme this winter, and be up and running in two years time.
Mr Blunkett also refused to back down on his controversial plans to introduce ID cards, saying that legislation would be placed before Parliament this winter to upgrade the passport system. As people renew their passports, they will also be issued with a biometric ID card, he said, with the cost rolled into the cost of a new passport.
Rejecting charges that he is too tough, Mr Blukett argued: “I would rather be a tough Home Secretary in a Labour government, than be a compassionate opponent of a right wing, extreme, Michael Howard government.”
The Home Secretary said that ordinary people must feel safe if they are going to back progressive policies in other areas, saying: “Without security, safety and freedom from fear hearts and minds can’t be won over to the progressive agenda”.
Security, he argued, is a three pronged requirement, of economic, world and domestic security, and at home we “need to demonstrate we are on the side of the people we represent”.
Moving on to asylum and immigration, the Home Secretary warned that problems within community can be used as “tinder box” for “racism and hate”, saying this is why action is so important, Mr Blunkett argued that the Government must reassure people and understand their fears.
He promised delegates that the “immigration and asylum is not out of control” and that the Government’s actions will “see off those who use immigration and asylum. as a political ploy to play on the fears of others”.
Labour, he said would prove that you “can have genuine deal which welcome asylum seekers and we can get a grip of clandestine entry”.
Mr Blunkett listed changes to the criminal justice system he is proud of, describing domestic violence as “one of the great scandals of our crime” saying that he is proud to have introduced new laws to help women. Getting a “sensible balance” on sentencing, with tougher sentences for the worst criminals is “not populism but sensible policies”.
Admitting that many of the decisions taken are tough decisions, he said he would “rather have a Labour Home Secretary taking these decisions.than have a Conservative government doing it on the nation’s part”.
