logo
Setting sex offenders free with sultana-sized scrotums won't solve anything – here's what will

Setting sex offenders free with sultana-sized scrotums won't solve anything – here's what will

The Sun23-05-2025
THE Labourite's Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, was brought up for a time in Saudi Arabia. And it seems to have shaped her.
Because this week, she announced that paedophiles should be chemically castrated.
5
Yup. Nonces must be made to drink chemicals in such vast quantities that their scrotum becomes the size of a sultana. And I've been struggling to understand why a Starmerite would say such a thing.
I now think I have an answer. As we know, jail sentences these days are a joke.
You rampage through a packed shopping centre with a sword, are sentenced by the judge to do 15 minutes in the nick, and because prisons are so overcrowded these days, they release you before you've even had a chance to unpack your suitcase.
Burglars, vicious thugs, drug smugglers. They go to prison in the morning, have some pleasant sex with their attractive warden, enjoy a slap-up lunch and are home in time for tea.
And then, that night, they break into your house and steal your television.
This kind of thing doesn't go down well with the electorate. But what if Ms Mahmood was able to argue that she's releasing them because they are no longer able to commit their dastardly crimes?
What if she's able to say that the nonce is safe to walk the streets because with no testicles, he has the same sexual urges as a tennis racquet.
She's even alluded to this, saying that sex offenders could only be released from prison on the condition that the state reduces their testosterone levels to a point where they'd rather cheese grate their own face than have sex.
Those weren't her actual words, but it's what she meant. So what's next?
Shall we cut off the hands of those who've been convicted of shoplifting? Run over people who've been caught speeding? Surgically implant a blade in the bottoms of those who've been done for a knife crime?
Paedos WANT to be castrated to banish sick 'desires', reform tsar says - as crackdown rolled out in 20 UK jails
And what of those idiots who cut down the tree in Sycamore Gap? What does Ms Mahmood reckon we should do with them? Chainsaw them off at the shins?
Maybe that's what Ms Mahmood has in mind. Because if she does this, it solves the problem of prison overcrowding at a stroke. People will be rehabilitated in no time at all.
The problem I have with this argument is that I don't see prison as a place of rehabilitation.
I see it as a place where you go to be punished for the crime you've committed.
And as I believe the state does not have the right to vandalise human beings, no matter what they've done, my solution to prison overcrowding is different.
Build more prisons.
EMOJI WORLD RULES
Two-wheel transport for a slow news day
5
I WAS greatly amused to hear this week that a BBC correspondent's bicycle has been stolen in Amsterdam.
It was no ordinary bike. Because Anna Holligan had turned it into a mobile outside broadcasting studio, fitting it with solar panels and brackets for lights and cameras. It looked ridiculous. Like the back end of a bicycle had been welded to a wheelbarrow full of scrap.
What made me laugh though is that Ms Holligan, above with her bike, said that when she arrives at a breaking news story on it, people feel more comfortable with her as a journalist.
Really? I only ask because if you want to cover a breaking news story, surely you're better off using a car.
If you go there on a bike, especially one that looks like it weighs about three tons, you won't get there until the story you're trying to cover has become about as topical as the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii.
GAME OF GIVE & TAKE
I DON'T understand a lot of what goes on in Sir Starmer's well- moisturised head.
And this week, he was more unfathomable than ever.
5
Because he has given away the Chagos Islands, which are ours, to Mauritius.
And we will pay them £101million a year, for 99 years, for us to use the military base there.
It could be argued, I suppose, that it's silly for us to govern a few specks of land that are thousands of miles away. But they're not exactly close to Mauritius either.
It gets worse. Because we will only be allowed to use the strategically vital base if the government of Mauritius gives us permission.
Which seems unlikely because, like most of the smaller countries in the world these days, Mauritius can't even build a park bench without permission from their paymasters in China.
So why's he done this? Why give away sovereign British territory to a foreign power that's not necessarily friendly? And what's next?
Is he going to give the Isle of Wight to North Korea? Or the Shetland Islands to Donald Trump?
If he is in the mood for this kind of thing and plainly he is, maybe he'd like to give Anglesey to me.
I'd even let him continue to use the lighthouse there for the very reasonable sum of just £200million a year.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Schoolboy, 6, died after bumping head while racing friends in playground tragedy
Schoolboy, 6, died after bumping head while racing friends in playground tragedy

The Sun

time36 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Schoolboy, 6, died after bumping head while racing friends in playground tragedy

A SIX-year-old boy died in his sleep after accidentally bumping his head while racing with friends at school, an inquest heard. Mohammed Yaseen Uddin, who attended Marlborough Primary School in Small Heath, Birmingham, died on December 11 last year. 3 3 He had been playing with pals during his lunch break the day before and accidentally bumped his head on a wall. The youngster told a school receptionist: 'I was running really fast, racing my friend and bumped into the wall.' As reported by Birmingham Live, an inquest heard how Yaseen picked himself up and appeared to behave normally after the fall. A paediatric school first aider applied an ice pack to a visible bump on the pupil's forehead. Yaseen's mother and sister were given a letter with medical advice upon picking him up. The inquest, held today at Birmingham Coroner's Court, heard the youngster appeared to be acting normally after going home. He had attended a local mosque after school and celebrated his sibling's birthday with cake. Later in the evening, Yaseen told his father he didn't feel well, and he was given some Ibuprofen. At around 11pm, the little boy complained about head pain "out of nowhere" and started to throw up. His family were on their way to the hospital but took him back home to change after he vomited again. The inquest heard they tried to leave again but Yaseen told them he just wanted to sleep, so they put him to bed. Dad Simriel Uddin said he looked in on his son at 3am and again at 5am when he got up for work, both times Yaseen was asleep. But the youngster was tragically found dead a few hours later. Heartbroken dad Simriel Uddin previously told the Mail: "He was a bright, joyful spirit and he was a beautiful, kind-hearted little boy. "He had a head collision in school -the school told my wife 'Oh, your son has bumped his head.' "When she asked if it was anything serious they said, 'No it's nothing serious, it's just a bump'." The inquest heard how Yaseen's brother Khalil performed CPR while waiting for an ambulance. Paramedics rushed Yaseen to hospital at around 11am but the six-year-old was pronounced dead at 12.08pm. Guirish Solanki, a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon, concluded Yaseen had suffered a "traumatic head injury when he struck his head on the wall." Yaseen's cause of death was given as a traumatic right frontal extra-axial haemorrhage, which means a bleed outside of the brain but within the skull. Louise Hunt, the Senior Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull said: "Yaseen was a six-year-old little boy who was normally fit and well. "He was described as happy and engaged when he came to school, a big character, who was always bubbly." She confirmed Yaseen had been playing with his friends before falling at around 12.29pm. The coroner was also satisfied the family had been given a letter outlining medical advice, despite the fact they previously disputed this. She said: "This was a tragic accident and I record in conclusion this was an accident. "I'd like to reiterate and offer my condolences to all the family. It must be very hard for all of you and I'm very sorry if today's inquest has made things more difficult. I'm so very sorry for your loss." Speaking after the inquest, Yaseen's sister Sumaya told BirminghamLive: "Thank you to everyone for their support." In a previous statement, Razia Ali, the executive headteacher at Marlborough, said: "Our school community has been left devastated by the tragic passing of one of our wonderful and much-loved pupils. 'Yaseen was an incredibly helpful, kind and caring pupil who brought a smile to the face of everyone who came across him. "I know I speak for everyone when I say he will be deeply missed. All our thoughts and prayers are with Yaseen's family and friends." 3

'Tighter gun restrictions make me feel hopeful', says bereaved twin
'Tighter gun restrictions make me feel hopeful', says bereaved twin

BBC News

time36 minutes ago

  • BBC News

'Tighter gun restrictions make me feel hopeful', says bereaved twin

A Birmingham woman whose twin sister and two nieces were shot dead with a legally held weapon has said she believes "voices have been heard", as tighter control on firearms licensing come into law. Emma Ambler has campaigned for stricter laws around gun licensing since her sister, Kelly Fitzgibbons, and her two nieces, Ava and Lexi Needham, were murdered at their West Sussex home in 2020 by Kelly's changes include an increase in the number of references needed for shotgun certificate applications."It's the first time I've seen some changes that mean something," said Ms Ambler. "This has taken over a lot of my life for a long time," she said. "But to know that, actually, this hasn't all been wasted time and people are listening now, that the policy and the guidance isn't strong enough... it does need to be strengthened, and they're working that direction, was quite a moment actually."Robert Needham, Ms Fitzgibbons' partner and father of father of Ava and Lexi, shot dead the three of them along with the family dog, at their home in Woodmancote, before turning the gun on himself.A domestic homicide review found he had lied on his shotgun application to police about previous convictions and treatment for 5 August, people applying for shotgun certificate applications will need two referees instead of need to have known the applicant well for at least two years and will need to vouch for them - which the Home Office said would ensure there was greater opportunity for concerns to be raised or identified. "I don't want any other family to go though what we've been through ever, but particularly if it can be preventable in some way," said Ms Ambler."It's become a real mission for me to make sure that what happened to Kelly doesn't happen to anyone else."She told the BBC that she was hopeful, and the changes had made her emotional. What is changing? The rule change over the number of referees was a direct response to concerns raised by the senior coroner who held the inquests following the fatal shootings in Plymouth in 2021, the Home Office said. Jake Davison shot his mother and four others before killing himself. Under the new rules, police must now speak to partners and members of households to identify signs of domestic abuse, as well as other factors that could indicate the applicant is not suitable to have a licence. Additional checks must be carried out to ensure people with a record of violence are not allowed to access of dishonesty, as well as questions about their integrity will also have an effect - if someone lies on their application or does not disclose medical conditions, it will bring their suitability to hold a gun into Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: "Only those who meet the highest standards of safety and responsibility should be permitted to use shotguns or firearms, and it is crucial that police have full information about the suitability of all applicants for these lethal weapons." "The first thing Emma did for me, was she educated me on what the gun licensing laws were currently," said Jess Phillips, safeguarding minister and Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley."She told me that there was nothing about the issue of dishonesty... it had been proven in her sister's case that he [Robert Needham] had lied – that is another thing that we've updated in the guidance."Where there has been dishonesty in the form-filling, that should stand against you having a licence, which I think is basic."She said the updates to the guidance were a product of listening to people like Ms Ambler, and learning from the outcomes in cases like the Plymouth shootings and a series of shootings in the Scottish Highlands. Government to strengthen guidance further "Previously, even if it had been found that somebody had lied on a form, even about what their address is... that wouldn't stand against you, and now the guidance is clear in that," said Phillips."It is impossible to prove, one way or another, that he [Needham] wouldn't have gone out and found other means."But certainly, if these changes had been in place, he wouldn't have been able to hold a gun licence and he wouldn't have been able to kill so quickly and at will so many people. Of that I am sure," she Home Office said it planned to strengthen guidance further, in light of weaknesses exposed by the shootings of Juliana Falcon and two of her children in Luton in September son, Nicholas, had bought the gun fraudulently said the government would be consulting on measures to strengthen existing controls on shotguns and seeking views on ways to improve controls on the private sales of firearms. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Government asks body to consult on axing ‘discriminatory' minimum wage age bands
Government asks body to consult on axing ‘discriminatory' minimum wage age bands

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Government asks body to consult on axing ‘discriminatory' minimum wage age bands

The Government has said it is pushing forward with plans to look at removing 'discriminatory' age bands for the national minimum wage as it extended the remit of the Low Pay Commission (LPC). It said the advisory body will consult with employers, trade unions and workers on narrowing the gap between the minimum wage rate for 18 to 20-year-olds, and the so-called national living wage – the UK minimum wage for workers 21 years and older. The LPC will also be required to put forward 'recommendations on achieving a single adult rate in the years ahead'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'To ensure the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, business affordability and the wider economy, the LPC is being asked to consult on several issues before recommending the new rates.' Last year, Labour committed to removing these age bands to create a 'genuine' national living wage, as part of efforts to bolster employment rights. Currently, the national living wage for workers aged 21 and older is £12.21. Meanwhile, the minimum wage for workers aged between 18 and 20 is £10. There is also a minimum wage for those aged under 18, and apprentices, of £7.55. The Government said the change to the LPC remit will also ensure it actively considers the cost of living in its recommendations for changes to the minimum wage which are next applied from April 2026. The LPC, which was founded in 1997, provides recommendations to the Government each October regarding how it believes the minimum wage should be changed. The Government ultimately sets minimum wage rates for the following April after this advice. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Low pay drags down living standards for our workers and in turn hurts our high streets and local businesses. 'This Government's plan for change will put money back in people's pockets, with this new remit marking the next step in considering how we ensure a fair deal for our lowest-paid workers while maintaining a competitive economy that boosts businesses and their employees alike.' Baroness Philippa Stroud, chairwoman of the LPC, said: 'We are pleased to receive our remit from the Government. 'Already, since the beginning of the year, we have spent significant time speaking with workers and employers to understand the pressures in the economy and the effects of the most recent increases in the minimum wage. 'We have held a successful call for evidence and received detailed submissions from all sides.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store