Phi Wire Hand Picked Politics - Live

  • Dave Hill | Boris's Bus (A Political Journey) Part 39: Next Stop, The Treasury

    • source icon
    • 15:47
    • Dave Hill\'s London blo...

  • James Delingpole | Climate change caused the Oklahoma tornado? Crikey, these people are getting des...

    • source icon
    • 15:46
    • Telegraph politics blog

  • Faisal Islam | Reasonable people will interpret the IMF statement in vastly different ways due ...

    • source icon
    • 15:46
    • Faisal Islam

  • The EU report into press regulation is Leveson to the power of 10 says my collea...

    • source icon
    • 15:36
    • Nigel Farage

  • .@DavidLammy MP was correct to compare the fight for #EqualMarriage to the fight...

    • source icon
    • 15:35
    • Peter Tatchell

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

PoliticsHome. All Todays Politics In One Place

Story Tracker

Select Story:

War memorial vandals 'never see light of court'

Courts are failing to convict people who desecrate war memorials, new figures reveal, a few days before Remembrance Sunday.

Britain's 100,000-plus war memorials have long been the target of vandals and scrap metal thieves, subject to graffiti and people stealing wreaths and plaques. But a Freedom of Information Request revealed that just one in ten of those arrested for desecration crimes have been successfully convicted.

Writing for PoliticsHome, Tory MP David Burrowes said: "It is clear that the law, as it stands, does not treat these crimes as seriously as it should. It makes no recognition of the memorials’ significance, and only measures these crimes by the financial costs they accrue. Unless more that £5000 worth of damage is caused, the maximum sentence is just three months in prison.

MPs are being urged to support today the third reading of the Scrap Metal Dealers Bill, which will introduce a comprehensive ban on cash payments for scrap metal, including for mobile collectors and vehicle salvage operators. It has passed second reading and committee stages, but there is concern that some MPs may talk the Bill out today, meaning it could not proceed to the Lords.

A range of businesses, including Calor Gas, BT, Network Rail, as well as the Church of England, have demanded action to stop the theft of metal, which costs the UK economy £770 million a year.

A Number 10 spokesman said the Government was behind the Bill, put forward by Richard Ottaway.

"Our position all along has been to support the Richard Ottaway Bill. There is widespread support for this bill."

Asked if the Government could look at other legislation if the Private Members Bill was stymied, the spokesman said that was unclear at present.

Related News

Green Box: War memorial vandals 'never see light of court'Click to open

+ Expand all - Collapse all

Recommended External Links

Full access for £22 a month...

PoliticsHome PRO Find out more

Related PRO Content

Free Trial

PoliticsHome News

War memorial vandals 'never see light of court'

09/11/2012

Lobby Briefings

No 10: We know the cost of fuel is a concern

09/11/2012

Press Release

Councils respond to Scrap Metal Bill progress

09/11/2012 on Local Government Association

Latest PRO Content

Free Trial

On Air

Summaries and transcripts from TV and radio

Danny Alexander: Govt has got economic balance right

2 hours ago on World at One, BBC Radio 4

Ed Balls: IMF warning of long-term damage to economy

3 hours ago on World at One, BBC Radio 4

Michael Gove: Free schools local democracy in action

5 hours ago on BBC News

See all On Air

Commons Reports

MPs pass equal marriage bill

21/05/2013

Transcript

IMF report on economic outlook

4 hours ago

See all Transcripts

Press Releases

UKIP: EP report on media is Leveson to power of 10

1 hour ago

See all Press Releases

Lobby Briefings

No 10: PM echoes Hunt comments on Nicholson

21/05/2013

See all Lobby Briefings