Rishi Sunak accused of 'running out of ideas' as new plan fails to impress

Rishi Sunak’s plans to tackle anti-social behaviour have been met with scrutiny by Labour who say they’re just rehashing old ideas. The new approach will include a ban on nitrous oxide as well as plans for people who vandalise open spaces to be forced to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours.

Downing Street has also said that communities will have a say in how punishment is doled out, however Labour has accused the Conservatives of copying their ideas on 'tough community payback', as per BBC.

Getting tough on crime

Part of Sunak’s plans to get tough on crime and anti-social behaviour include, as per gov.uk:

• Perpetrators of anti-social behaviour will face swift and visible justice as quickly as within 48 hours
• Nitrous oxide to be banned and police given more powers to test for drugs on arrest
• Police and local authorities given the tools they need to tackle the problem
• Powers for councils to bring empty shops back into use and funding to regenerate local parks

Sunak is hoping that his tough measures will finally end the scourge of anti-social behaviour once and for all:

Anti-social behaviour undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home.

The public have rightly had enough – which is why I am determined to restore people’s confidence that those responsible will be quickly and visibly punished.

This action plan maps out how we will tackle this issue with the urgency it deserves and stamp out these crimes once and for all – so that wherever you live, you can feel safe in, and proud of your community.

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‘Hotspot’ enforcement patrols

Under the new plans, 16 areas across England and Wales will have trials with ‘hotspot’ enforcement patrols and an ‘immediate justice’ scheme. If it is successful it will be fully rolled out in 2024.

These plans will see more police officers patrolling areas like parks, high streets and on public transport. Anybody found to be engaging in anti-social behaviour will be made to repair any damage they have done within 48 hours.

However, Labour has called out the government by saying that it is Conservative cuts that have contributed to the problems Sunak is aiming to fix.

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell was not impressed, as per Sky News:

We've heard it all before from this government, and I think we have to judge them by their record.

Community sentencing over the last 13 years is down not just by a third, but by two thirds.

The government has said it will increase the amount of hours offenders have to work from five million to up to eight million a year.

It has also said it will extend offenders' involvement in campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy's annual Great British Spring Clean. Last year 1,500 offenders spent nearly 10,000 hours on 300 various community clean-up projects through this campaign.

Read more:

⋙ Rishi Sunak facing criticism over 'heartless' response to woman's inability to afford a lightbulb

Sources used:

- Sky News 'Rishi Sunak accused of rehashing old ideas ahead of launching drive to 'stamp out' anti-social behaviour'

- Gov.uk 'Action plan to crack down on anti-social behaviour and restore pride in communities'

- BBC 'Rishi Sunak promises anti-social behaviour crackdown'