Labour Gives Up

It looks like Labour's new policy of governing Britain is simply to throw its hands in the air and give up.

A move to transfer criminals to open prisons is to go ahead, despite ministers admitting the policy will 'inevitably' lead to more break-outs.

The revelation came in a leaked memo which suggested Home Secretary John Reid was prepared to 'take the risk' of more prisoners absconding.

The policy is being introduced in a bid to solve the growing prison population crisis.

I mean, why build more prisons? Pah, instead we'll just let some of them escape and thus create more room for other prisoners. Genius.

The memo, from governor Fiona Radford, warned Dr Reid of the likely consequences of the policy.

He 'accepted as inevitable' that escapes would rise, according to Ms Radford, of West Sussex's Ford Open Prison.

She added: 'Ministers have apparently been briefed to this effect and are taking this risk.'

The memo also revealed ministers expected drug abuse to increase among prisoners as a result of the policy.

Again, all part of the programme. "Acceptable" escapes, "acceptable" drug abuse, and, no doubt, an "acceptable" rise in crime once they're back out on the streets, some of them with a habit to feed.