Leading Article: The saloon bar `wisdom' of the Home Secretary
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.BROADLY, THERE are two kinds of Home Secretary: nice cop and nasty cop. We used to expect Labour to provide the nice ones - remember that Seventies liberal Roy Jenkins? - and the Conservatives to supply the nasty ones - who can forget the pantomime-heavy performance of "Something of the night" Michael Howard? But the tenure of Jack Straw seems designed as an object lesson in the futility of looking at the world through stereotypes.
The man who made his name in opposition by attacking that scourge of the urban driver, the Squeegee merchant, moved on in office to remove the right to trial by jury, water down freedom-of-information legislation and, now, take on those of no fixed address. His remarks about "travellers" who, he told a local radio station, "cause mayhem... burgling, thieving, breaking into vehicles... defecating in doorways" is simply rent-a-rant vocabulary, unworthy of a holder of high office.
It is the job of law-enforcement agencies, under the Home Secretary, to find, arrest, and prosecute individuals who have committed specific crimes, not to sound off against whole classes of people who do not come up to his Pecksniffian standards. Unfortunately, his opposite number on the Tory benches is no better. "I certainly would not quarrel with his remarks," says the shadow Home Secretary, Ann Widdecombe (whose agreement should have been a warning to Mr Straw). Her fine distinction, that she was referring only to "some" travellers, is of little worth when one is in the business of making prejudicial generalisations.
The bullying has to stop. The rights of a free-born Englishman (amended to "British citizen") have been a proud boast through the ages. They should not be abridged by turning home-dweller against traveller by the demagoguery of ministers and their shadows.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments