• The Conservative Government is introducing tougher sentences for criminals, increasing police powers, enhancing support for victims of crime, strengthening the parole system and creating new measures to protect national security.
• Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives are taking the necessary long-term action to keep our streets safe – reducing crime, protecting victims and making the country safer for everyone.
• Rebecca Harris MP has welcomed new measures from the Conservative Government in the King’s Speech 2023 and the benefits they will bring to people across Castle Point.

Commenting, Rebecca Harris said:

“I have had lots of correspondence on this issue in recent weeks and so if we are going to improve people’s lives for the better, we must set out even more measures to tackle crime, support victims and defend ourselves from the threat of terrorism. This King’s Speech sets out a range of Bills that I will be supporting as they progress through Parliament. This will give the police the powers they need and make our streets safer – all whilst meaning that for those who are convicted that life means life.”

Following the Government's Police Uplift Programme, Essex Police is now the largest it has ever been. Crime is down by 6.7 per cent and anti-social behaviour is down 35.2 per cent in our area in the past 12 months and thanks to extra investment the police are now doing more to prevent crime from happening, including funding local projects through Safer Streets, implementing ASB hotspot patrols and more neighbourhood policing. But there remains more to do and the Government is now bringing forward further measures.

New measures include the Sentencing Bill, which will keep rapists and other serious sexual offenders behind bars for the whole of their custodial terms and make Whole Life Orders available for murderers who kill with sexual or sadistic conduct, so life really will mean life. For offenders who would have served fewer than twelve months in prison, judges will have the discretion to suspend their custodial sentences in favour of suspended sentences with tough conditions, which have a much lower reoffending rate, meaning less crime and more offenders on the straight and narrow. These offenders will repay their debts to society in the communities they damaged, delivering swift and visible justice that directly benefits our communities.

The Criminal Justice Bill will give police the tools they need to prevent crimes like digital-enabled crime, child sexual abuse, and child grooming. There will be additional safeguarding protections for our children and new measures against those who would harm them and will introduce more powers to seize and destroy knives. Criminals will be compelled to attend their sentencing hearings and they may also face reasonable force if they refuse to appear in the dock.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill will give victims the confidence that our criminal justice system will work for them and ministers will be able to block the parole of the worst offenders and stop those on Whole Life Orders from marrying in prison.

The Investigatory Powers Bill will give the security and intelligence services the powers they need to stop the threats to our national security.

Martyn’s Law via the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill will make sure certain venues are prepared to respond to a terrorist attack following the Manchester Arena tragedy.

The Conservative Government is taking the long-term decisions needed to keep people safe in Castle Point, to deliver a brighter future for everyone.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I want everyone across the country to have the pride and peace of mind that comes with knowing your community, where you are raising your family and taking your children to school, is safe. That is my vision of what a better Britain looks like. Thanks to this Government, crime is down, but we must always strive to do more, taking the right long-term decisions for the country and keeping the worst offenders locked up for longer. In the most despicable cases, these evil criminals must never be free on our streets again. Life needs to mean life.”