Blunkett rushes to appease the tabloids, yet again...

[mrph]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3557372.stm

"Lottery-winning prisoners and their families will be prevented from collecting their win under new laws, David Blunkett has promised."

He promised this in a today's Sun, btw. Which tells you a lot in itself... and, for thoe who haven't been following this one, the decision is driven by a prisoner (jailed for attempted rape) winning the lottery a couple of days ago (he's nearing the end of his sentence and was able to buy a ticket while staying at a bail hostel).

Even aside from the deeply disturbing "and their families" bit (which is left vague), this looks stupid. What next, someone wins the lottery before their conviction (or after their release), and Blunkett scrambles to outflank the tabloids on that, too?

It's a lottery. The odds of winning are tiny. The odds don't care if you're the Archbishop of Canterbury or Ian Huntley. Which doesn't stop the tabloids whining about people who shouldn't be 'allowed' to win money.

I can see a case for not letting prisoners gamble (in any form) while convicted. But nobody seems to complain about the thousands who play the lottery and lose, do they?

Comments

[purplerabbits.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it anywhere that he's down no sign of reform. He was allowed out on a temprary basis because he's served 15 years of an 18 year recommended sentence. This is fairly normal.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Arse. I was going to go back and correct that having thought about it, after a discussion elsewhere on LJ, but I forgot where I'd written it. You're right - he might feel complete remorse by now, and there's no way I'd know either way.