James Timpson: Why Starmer hired key boss as prisons minister

13 comments

1. [removed]

2. “We’ve had a culture for far too long of putting people inside who shouldn’t be.”

   Is this referencing the same country? Im often asking myself what someone needs to do to get imprisoned.

3. Whoever gave him the idea to get Timpson in should get a trophy.

   And I know exactly where they could get one.

4. It’s a great appointment. Genuinely can’t think of who could do it better.

5. Appointing someone who has made successful reform programs for released prisoners? Someone who has spent years involved in prison reform?

   The lock ‘em up forever brigade won’t like that. It’s sad that we can’t seem to have a grown up conversation about trying prevention and reform options without people shouting that it’s saying we should let everyone off.

   I think the appointment is a good thing, it’s good to see people who have actual experience and successes in relevant areas as ministers for a change.

6. Better get Martin Lewis in next as an advisor for the treasury

7. I think he’s a really great appointment and it’s nice seeing people with actual expertise put in charge. Is there a potential conflict of interest between his businesses, which do a great deal of work with prisons, that needs to be addressed? We’re in a honeymoon period at the moment but easy to see how success in his role as minister could also benefit his business.

8. Seems a good appointment to me, our prisons and sentencing need rethought with greater importance given to treatment and rehabilitation for appropriate offences

9. Finally a political appointment of somebody who actually knows what he is talking about.

   There are simply too many professional politicians these days who are after nothing more than a big fat paycheck when they become a board/think tank member after their political career is over.

10. I am really happy about this and hope it leads to rehabilitation and prevention of crime being more important than our own moral judgements.

11. People leaving prison with skills and opportunities can only be a positive thing. It’s never going to have a 100% success rate, any improvement is good.

12. These are the kinds of Lords appointments I am fine with, he is a person with a lot of expertise in this field and it isn’t a major posting like, for example, Foreign Secretary.
    And he’s right that many people don’t need to be sentenced to prison terms. Why not community service. Short prison terms do nothing but strain the system.

    And I’ve needed my watch strap in Canada for a while and can’t find a well priced reputable place to have it done so I will wait until I go back to the UK at the end of August and get it done at Timpson’s.

13. If the plan is to stop people from becoming criminals in the first place, great. But what’s more likely to happen is that violent offenders, who should be in prison, will just be let off with a slap on the wrist instead.