Violent criminals and gang leaders should have council houses taken away from their families to deter them from crime, a minister has said. Victoria Atkins, a minister in the Home Office, says hardened criminals who are blighting communities should lose their homes so that they "understand the consequences" of their actions. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ms Atkins becomes the first minister to publicly endorse the plan, which is currently being tested in north London. Asked whether she supported the scheme, Ms Atkins said the Government had "changed the law to enable it to happen". She added: "In the most serous cases with these people who are exploiting young people, making the lives of... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for free … [Read more...] about Evicting criminals’ families from council homes will help cut offending, says minister
Politics
Labour’s defence chief will demand a pay rise for troops
Labour's defence chief will demand a pay rise for troops as she bids to exploit Tory divisions and quell fears over Jeremy Corbyn’s commitment to the Armed Forces. Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith is expected to back Trident, call for more money for the military and attack Theresa May for starving defence of cash when she addresses the Royal United Services Institute think tank on Monday. A source said: “In government the Tories have slashed defence spending, cut the size of the Army and are giving a raw deal to our servicemen and women. “Labour wants to see proper investment in defence and a decent pay rise for our men and women who have had to endure seven years of real terms pay cuts since 2010, despite rising rents in service accommodation and cuts to tax credits.” The Prime Minister is under mounting pressure after she threw into doubt Britain’s status as a tier one military power. It is widely taken to mean a country which has a full spectrum of … [Read more...] about Labour’s defence chief will demand a pay rise for troops
We owe it to our veterans not to neglect their mental health as previous generations did
Tobias Ellwood Ministry of Defence Follow 22 June 2018 • 9:30pm As a young boy I knew two things about my uncle: that he was a veteran, and that he committed suicide. Today I’m aware he suffered from depression. Our family knew he was not himself but he found it impossible to battle his demons and, in the end, they defeated him. I was reminded of him when visiting America last week, for two reasons. The first was the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, two talented people who seemingly had it all but hid their depression until they could no longer cope. The second was a sight common in the US: complete strangers at an airport approaching a man in uniform and thanking him for his service. I wonder, did anyone ever thank my uncle? Mental illness has... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only … [Read more...] about We owe it to our veterans not to neglect their mental health as previous generations did
Exclusive: Defence minister reveals his army veteran uncle killed himself, and calls for better mental health support for soldiers
The defence minister Tobias Ellwood has revealed his army veteran uncle killed himself, having suffered depression in silence, as he says soldiers' mental illness has too long been “left in the shadows”. It comes as new figures have shown the numbers and rates of mental health disorder among UK armed forces have increased over the past decade. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the defence minister opens up about the veteran’s suicide for the first time. Mr Ellwood’s uncle, John Clarke, found it “impossible to battle his demons” and was eventually “defeated” by them, the minister, who was four years old at the time, writes. He warns that mental illness has for too long been “burdened by stigma”... Register or log in to view this and other Politics articles. It's free and easy to do. Join regular debates with our journalists by commenting on articles Sign up to exclusive newsletters that give you the inside track on … [Read more...] about Exclusive: Defence minister reveals his army veteran uncle killed himself, and calls for better mental health support for soldiers
Taking council homes from criminals’ families will help cut offending, says minister
Violent criminals and gang leaders should have council houses taken away from their families to deter them from crime, a minister has said. Victoria Atkins, a minister in the Home Office, says hardened criminals who are blighting communities should lose their homes so that they "understand the consequences" of their actions. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ms Atkins becomes the first minister to publicly endorse the plan, which is currently being tested in north London. Asked whether she supported the scheme, Ms Atkins said the Government had "changed the law to enable it to happen". She added: "In the most serous cases with these people who are exploiting young people, making the lives of... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for free … [Read more...] about Taking council homes from criminals’ families will help cut offending, says minister