Tony Hatfield's Retired Ramblings

Why Anne Widdecombe's idea of prison work....... just won't work!

On Monday this week, the Guardian invited responses to the question "What good is Prison?. Today, Anne Widdecombe gives us her two pennyworth. She follows the standard "what's prison for" line. Locking serious and persistent offenders up keeps them off... Read more →

Bush in the Dock?

Peter Harvey's Lavengro blog pointed me to this New York Times spoof. The "original" can be found here. One of the articles is headed " Court Indicts Bush on High Treason Charge. Clicking on that headline takes you to a... Read more →

The Leila Khaled principle- Revisited

One of the most stimulating-and lengthy-debates on Brian Barder's "magisterial" blog was on the post here in June 2005. This selection of Brian's post got me and perhaps others going. Are you seriously saying that in such circumstances ministers should... Read more →

What do our Chief Constables spread on their toast?

Peter Fahy Mike Craik Bernard Hogan Howe I sometimes wonder just what our Chief Constables are spreading on their toast at breakfast time. One result is that the synchromesh linking their synapses and vocal chords is in desperate need of... Read more →

Cameron needs a Detention and Training Order?

I've almost felt sorry for David Cameron in the last week or so. A few days topping up his tan in Rwanda; embarrassed by Redwood taking over his tax cutting agenda then yesterday, his back room boys managed to pick... Read more →

Francis Lawrence, Tony McNulty and the Human Rights Act

Until yesterday, I had considerable sympathy with Mrs Francis Lawrence. The death of her husband in 1995 must have been a traumatic experience. But we didn't hear or see her in the media calling for hanging or corporal punishment to... Read more →

Chief Constable Fahy and His Appalling Clear Up Rate

The death last week of Gary Newlove has predictably brought out the worst in our media and perhaps, more surprisingly, from the Chief Constable of Cheshire, Peter Fahy. Gary Newlove, a cancer survivor and father of three young kids, died... Read more →