Crime and (lack of) Punishment in North Wales

   

Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice show that of 4,059 criminals sentenced last year for indictable offences (i.e. murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, grand theft, robbery, burglary, arson, conspiracy, fraud and other major crimes) in North Wales - only 603 were sentenced to prison. Thats less than 15%!

Apparently of the remainder, 842 received fines, 344 were given suspended jail terms, and 1,371 were given community sentences, with the rest given conditional discharges or passed over to mental health authorities.

Of course in the Druid's time crime was dealt with far more efficiently: we sacrificed the blighters! However, even back then, that was going a little too far which lead to the Emperor Tiberius outlawing Druidism - the only national religion to be so proscribed by what was a religiously tolerant Roman Empire.

Crime in Anglesey

So lets take a look at crime in Anglesey in 2009 beginning with the incidence of all crimes, and then the figures for burglary, robbery, vehicle crimes, violence, and anti-social behaviour (note: these graphs show the number of crimes per 1000 people):

Two things are immediately apparent from these charts:

• Most of Anglesey's criminals go on holiday in September; and 
• the two largest categories of crime in Anglesey are overwhelmingly the last two: violence and anti-social behaviour. 

The Druid is not an expert, but I would suspect that when only 15% of offenders of serious crimes are given prison sentences this sends out a message to society that you can pretty much do as you want - because you have to be REALLY REALLY bad to get anything more than a slap on the wrist. No wonder there is so much casual violence and anti-social behaviour.

It is easy to shrug this off and complain that the Courts aren't doing their job - but we have known for a long time that North Wales Police are more interested in catching speeding motorists than drunken yobs. During a recent nigh-time excursion to the Druid's nearest market town on a Friday evening, he observed not a single Police officer anywhere at chucking-out time. It is also informative that ex-North-Wales-Policeman, Plaid Cymru candidate for Ynys Mon Dylan Rees is actually calling for even less criminals to be sentenced to prison. With the figure currently standing at just 15% what figure do you have in mind, Dylan? 10%? 5%? 0%? Do let us know...

All the Druid can say is: perhaps it is time for elected Police Commissioners - its surely right that the priorities of the local Police are set by the local communities they serve rather than faceless bureaucrats in Whitehall.

Until that happens you can make do by balancing your bobby.

  

Elfyn Llwyd and 25 Welsh Druids...

What was Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid Cymru MP for Merionydd Nant Conwy, doing with 25 Welsh Druids in Dining Room D of the Houses of Commons on 11th October, 2006?

And why wasn't I invited..?!
 
(Hat-tip: Alwyn Ap Huw, a.k.a. Miserable Old Fart)
  

Albert Owen asked to repay £983.57 in expenses

    
From the BBC website:

Albert Owen (Ynys Mon), Labour: Overpaid £400 for food and £583.57 on mortgage payments.

Mr Owen said the review team had issues relating to mortgage interest in 2004 and 2008.

He said: "I complied with the request for full information and it demonstrated an under payment in 2004-05 and an over payment in 2008-09. Had this information been available to me at the time I would have supplied it and altered my claims accordingly.

"I have also paid back for subsistence/food which was claimed under the wrong heading of food instead of 'other items'. This followed advice I was given at the time. While I accept the decision I was disappointed that the review team was arbitrary and only concentrated on the over-claim, despite an under-claim of a similar amount in 2004-05. I did not appeal against the recommendation as I have supported the new rules including independent external audits."

Total £983.57 - paid.

The Druid has looked at Albert Owen's expenses previously here.


UPDATE: The room bookings on the Palace Estate files have also now been published online so we can see who MPs have been inviting to official functions in the Houses of Commons. Here's the data for Albert Owen:

• November 2004: A dinner for 38 people in Dining Room A on behalf of "The Industrial Pioneer" - a trades union periodical
• April 2008: A dinner for 13 people in Dining Room D for Anglesey Aluminium*
• March 2009: A breakfast for 16 people in the Astor Suite for the Aluminium Federation*

* It should be noted to Albert Owen's credit that he is the Chair of the all-party group on the Aluminium industry - not that it was enough to save the job losses at Anglesey Aluminium.
  

Peter Hain, Albert Owen, and Reality versus Fantasy

The Druid has no particular political allegiance - as per his oath set out to the left of this post, he merely wants the best for Anglesey. Accordingly he evaluates all parties on what they say and what they do. If they propose or implement policy which is sensible and benefits this island he will praise it - if on the other hand, politicians say or do something stupid then he will condemn it.

What the Druid particularly dislikes however is when politicians invite us to believe something which is directly contrary to what we know to be true. And when it comes to this particular 'crime' one party stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Here are two examples from the past two weeks alone:

FANTASY

Last week Albert Owen sent a letter to the local press congratulating himself and Labour for "political leadership and vision on energy projects". I blogged about it here.

REALITY

This week the energy regulator Ofgem released a report warning us that there will be power shortages in the years ahead and that the average household electricity and gas bills could rise by 25% to £2000 or more by 2020. The cause being that this Labour government, despite prancing around on the world stage calling for ever more shrill carbon targets, has for too long avoided making any preparations to replace the multitude of nuclear and coal-fired power plants which are due to be closed down this decade. The result is that we will all end up paying more for an unstable supply - certainly not an example of "political leadership or vision" as Albert Owen would have us believe.

FANTASY

Peter Hain, the Secretary for State for Wales is a serial offender. Fresh from claiming a few weeks ago that mass job losses in Wales were mere 'tales', he has this week told a Westminster briefing that Wales is "a wealthy country".

REALITY

This is the reality in Anglesey:

• A GDP per head of only half of the UK average thus making it officially the poorest county in the UK according to the Office of National Statistics;
• Equivalent to some of the poorest parts of Poland in a recent OECD report;
• The lowest GVA per head in Wales at just 53% of the UK’s average; 
• A dwindling private sector following the closures of Anglesey Aluminium, Octel, MEM/Eaton, Peboc and many others;
• A rising unemployment rate currently standing at 5.8%; 
• An economic inactivity rate of 25.1%; 
• A changing population profile with a net outflow of 16-24 year olds; 

The problem with this kind of fantasy politics is not only is it deceptive towards voters, it also prevents the formulation of good policy. If you are so invested in your fantasy and refuse to accept the reality, then it follows that you cannot make policy to solve real problems. And that is a tragedy not only for the Labour Party but for us all. 
    

The sporting highlight of the year: Wales v England

     

Bill McLaren: gone but not forgotten (och I tell 'ya!)

This year's Six Nations Tournament kicks off on Saturday bringing with it, in the opinion of your humble Druid, one of the greatest sporting set pieces: the Wales v England game.

The Druid was fortunate enough to have been in Twickenham two years ago to watch Warren Gatland's Ospreys-dominated Wales team come back from 16-6 down at half time to a resounding 19-26 win by the full time whistle. He still relishes how the noisy jubilation of the England fans during the first half turned into at first a shocked silence and finally despair as Mike Phillips scored the match-clinching try in the corner closest to the Druid's seat.

Unfortunately Wales will be without Phillips' services this year due to injury - as is Wales's first choice hooker, Matthew Rees. The Blues' Gareth Williams will replace him - but standing just 5'6" tall short could make the scrummage easier for England plus he will have to be standing on his toes to throw in over England's 6'8" Simon Shaw! Mike Phillips himself will be replaced by another Blues player, Gareth Cooper - who hasn't been playing regularly for his first XV.

Its great news that Fullback Lee Byrne has had his two week ban overturned - allowing James Hook to move into the centre to partner the mighty Jamie Roberts. Last year in Cardiff  England open-side flanker Joe Worsely man-marked Roberts out of the match - a feat no doubt Riki Flutey will try to emulate this year. Accordingly the Druid hopes that Hook and Roberts will mix it up enough in the centre to confuse England's defence and create opportunities for Tom James and the incomparable Shane Williams.

The result? In the Druid's opinion Wales comfortably have the edge on England with its props, its No. 8, the centre partnership, its wingers and full-back (though the Druid hopes that with the formation of the bizarrely named RGC1404 we will also soon see some North Wales players lining up in the national squad). England will have to rely on its front five with Lewis Moody trying to snuffle out the phases by collaring Wales's Martyn Williams at every opportunity. I reckon, with the Twickenham curse now behind us, 2010 should be Wales's year.

As for the whole tournament: the Druid read recently that Ireland won the Grand Slam last year with the least number of passes made by a Six Nations side; South Africa won the Tri-nations despite the whole side not passing as much as the New Zealand scrum-half - accordingly we could be in for some serious aerial bombardments this year - something the Scots have excelled at for 30 years. And what could be a more fitting tribute to Bill McLaren than a Scottish Six Nations tournament win in 2010?

As the maestro might have said: "that one's got snow on it"!  

UPDATE (Post Match): I hope Gatland makes Alun Wyn Jones walk back to Wales...
   

Will Wylfa B ever be built?

      

The above chart comes from a report on Debt released yesterday by the management consultants McKinsey & Company - it shows that the UK is now the most indebted country in the world. Particularly frightening is the rapid acceleration of debt since around 2004 - well before Northern Rock and global economic crisis which followed that.

What does this mean for Anglesey? 

As we discussed yesterday, both Labour and the Conservative Party have resolved that any new nuclear power stations - such as Wylfa B - must not require any public subsidy. As the public cupboard is completely bare you might say that is just as well - except for one small problem: it seems increasingly likely that private companies such as Horizon Nuclear Power (the RWE npower/E.On UK nuclear joint venture which has purchased land around the existing Wylfa reactor in order to possibly construct Wylfa B) will not be able to build new nuclear installations without public subsidy. On January 22nd, 2010, the National Audit Office (NAO) released a report which stated that:

"EDF (which bought the UK Government's stake in British Energy) did not give the Government any 'binding commitment' that it would build the power stations or that taxpayers would not have to pick up the costs of cleaning up nuclear waste. 

'It [the Government] remains responsible for funding any shortfall in the future cost of decommissioning British Energy’s existing nuclear power stations"

That refers to new nuclear plants - but unfortunately, due to poor planning at the time, the Government is also liable for covering the costs for the decommissioning and disposal of nuclear waste from existing nuclear plants too. Some estimates put this cost at a staggering £90Bn! So before even one brick is laid at a new nuclear plant, an already completely broke government is liable for £90Bn (equivalent to three times the annual defence budget) just to clear up the mess from the old plants.

The Labour government has publicly committed itself through its Fiscal Responsibility Bill (fully supported by Albert Owen) to halving the public debt over the next four years. Can they really dramatically cut public debt whilst at the same time spending vast sums to clean up old plants and fund new plants such as Wylfa B at the same time?

Wylfa B is looking increasingly economically unlikely - and the Druid wonders whether Albert Owen - despite his bravado in the local press - knows this already..?

      

Plaid's Dylan Rees takes the Druid's advice...

  
Regular readers might recall that the Druid penned a profile of Plaid Cymru's PPC, Dylan Rees, a couple of weeks ago. In it I noted that:

Now at the top of his Plaid Cymru Candidates page he lists his three top pledges for Ynys Môn if elected as:

- Tackle the Island's law and order difficulties

- Make more homes available for local people

- Transform the island's economy

Its informative that he mentions the economy last - almost like an afterthought. And his 1st and 2nd pledges only ranked as the 7th and 13th most important issues to North Wales residents in the latest Wales YouGov poll. Rees might want to reconsider his priorities.

Just to prove I wasn't lying, here is a screen-grab of the relevant graphic on his homepage at the time of writing:

And this is what it looks like now:

Notice anything different?

As you're obviously reading the Druid's blog, Dylan, perhaps you might also like to reply to my questions about your stance on ID Cards, New Labour's slavish police targets, and North Wales Police's over-emphasis on turning normal motorists into criminals? Diolch.

      

P.S. In other news, the Tory candidate, Ridge-Newman, is also reading the Druid.