NEW Home Secretary Suella Braverman came out of the starting blocks pulling no punches.
Take her proposals to quash illegal immigration, her anti-woke stance, her criticism of “Benefit Street culture”, her contempt for political protestors and a planned crackdown on the number of foreign students.
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Home Secretary Suella Braverman came out of the starting blocks pulling no punchesCredit: Getty
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The conviction of TV’s Rolf Harris was helped by victims speaking out after seeing the men being accused in the mediaCredit: AFP – Getty
Her to-do list is all pretty right of right wing. But at the Tory party conference last week she appeared to take a sharp left-hand swerve.
She announced she would consider anonymity for anyone arrested — including suspected paedophiles — until they are charged.
Her main reason is to stop what she calls a “media circus” or “trial by media” surrounding people who are falsely accused.
This proposal appears to be totally out of tune with her other hard-line policies, and to many it is completely baffling.
Instead of concentrating on crime she is choosing to shackle the Press, who have traditionally worked hand in hand with the police.
If someone is wrongly accused, then their lives can be ruined by being identified before they are ever charged.
Just ask Sir Cliff Richard, the effect it had on him when he was falsely accused of historic sex offences.
This is because most people believe there is no smoke without fire and that if people are saying someone has done something wrong there is usually a good reason for what they are saying.
In Sir Cliff’s case it turned out to be a load of hot air.
The result for him was very traumatic, which no doubt could have been avoided if police investigated accusations properly.
If they do this, most false claims would be dismissed before arrest.
Take Operation Midland, which saw police investigate several high-profile people — from politicians to heads of security — over claims of historic sex abuse and murder only to later realise they had been duped by a fantasist and liar.
Suella’s plan would protect the wrongly accused. But on the other side of the coin, it could stop…