Rough sleepers won’t be arrested because they smell after Tories watered down plans to persecute them for no very good reason.

This Site reported last month that

[Rishi] Sunak thinks the best way to deal with homelessness is to criminalise it.

He wants to give local authorities and the police powers against “nuisance rough sleeping” as part of a flagship Criminal Justice Bill that is so loosely drawn up that someone could be considered a “nuisance” for sleeping in a doorway, having an “excessive smell” or looking as though they might intend to sleep rough.

Critics – including backbenchers on both sides of the Conservative Party – say the Bill would criminalise people simply for being homeless. More than 40 Tory MPs are saying they won’t support it and are backing amendments.

And now it seems Rishi Sunak has bowed to their will.

According to the BBC,

Under changes to the Criminal Justice Bill, forces in England and Wales will no longer be able to move people on because of “smells”.

Officers will also have to inform them of support services first before they can move them on for other reasons.

It follows meetings with potential Conservative rebels who had threatened to team up with opposition MPs to vote through similar changes.

The problem is that the new Criminal Justice Bill, which was supposed to de-criminalise homelessness, still gives police powers to fine homeless people up to £2,500 or have them jailed for up to a month if they fail to comply with orders to leave a place and not return for three days, on account of being a “nuisance”.

Powers to move people on for other reasons – including for damage to property or using threatening language – will remain.

But an amendment will specify that before this power can be used, rough sleepers will have to be told how they can access support services, such as addiction treatment or shelters.

Fair enough but the Bill will still criminalise them for sleeping rough, which is precisely what it’s supposed to be stopping.

What do you think will happen if they can’t pay the £2,500 fine? They’ll be jailed.

And of course they can’t pay the fine. If they could pay the fine, they could afford to pay the rent on a flat. Right?

Matt Downie of homelessness charity Crisis has it right. He would; he’s the expert. He said:

“If the Westminster government really wants to end rough sleeping, then it should focus on the things we know work – such as building thousands more social homes and increasing funding for support services like Housing First.”

But that will never happen under the current government. They’re Tories.

The Bill returns to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

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