Jonathan Aitken is up to his old tricks again
The disgraced former cabinet minister, Jonathan Aitken, who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for perjury and perverting the course of justice has obviously not learned his lesson. On his first night in prison he claims to have found God and become a born again christian! He was released early on parole after only serving 7 months. Now in his report Locked Up Potential he claims to be an expert in Criminal Justice matters.
Aitken's report like the act of an illusionist on stage is based on deception. The hidden agenda is further privatisation of the penal estate. Rather than be forward looking this is a retrograde step going back to before the Prison Act 1832.
Bearing in mind that Aitken was involved in the illegal arms to Saudi Arabia affair, the Tory Party should approach Aitken and his report with the utmost caution. And, Labour should not touch his proposals with a 10 foot barge pole.
Aitken fails to declare his conflict of interest, namely his ties to the private sector prisons industry.
Rather than reduce prison overcrowding and cut re-offending rates and cut public expenditure, which the report claims are its intentions, following this report will merely increase the population of prisons because the more the body count is the more profit for the private companies and their shareholders.
Aitken has learned that there is money in them thar jails and he intends to rip off the public by promising a better deal.
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
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