Why not empty the prisons and have done with it?

A paedophile who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a three-year old girl has been jailed for life, but could be freed on parole in less than six years. Outrage everywhere.

Cue John Reid wading in with righteous indignation. The judge is being blamed, but others are making the not unreasonable point that he was only following the Government's sentencing guidelines.

This Government seems to have a strange aversion to locking up criminals. Only the other day, we were told that they had decided against legislating to criminalise people who facilitate forced marriages. Apparently, they are afraid that such a law could 'harm victims'.

Speechless.