Two gay asylum seekers have won a Supreme Court battle against the government's 'go home and hide' policy. But does the court's stance really make Britain a 'safehaven'? Deirdre Sheahan doesn't think so
New brooms indeed: Kenneth Clarke has given us all plenty to think about. We live in strange times when the old bang 'em up Tories are thinking creatively and having photo-shoots on A Wing with some of the inmates, while the numbers locked up in the Labour years has rocketed from where it was when the Conservatives were last in power.
About ten years ago my local authority decided that it needed rather more joined up thinking when it came to resolving the difficulties faced by the myriad of tenants living within the borough. We had a very high proportion of private tenanted accommodation and also a significant social housing sector. Put quite shortly the problem was that tenants were getting into trouble with their rent – being evicted and quite literally ending up in the town hall with their suitcases asking for help.
