Why Labour's attack on SNP over shoplifting epidemic is justified – and smart politics
A staggering 47,000 cases of shoplifting were recorded in Scotland in the year to June
According to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, the SNP should “apologise for effectively legalising shoplifting in Scotland”. Responding to the claim, John Swinney said his government could not be described as soft on crime because Scotland was “incarcerating more people than any other Western European country”.
However, it does not necessarily follow that because large numbers of people are being jailed, crime is being tackled effectively. Prison is not the only punishment and not always the best one.
A staggering 47,000 cases of shoplifting were recorded in the year to June, following a 124 per cent increase since 2021. So it is fair to say this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with considerably more vigour than it is currently.
Accusing the First Minister of “living on another planet”, Sarwar said less than half of shoplifting crimes were solved in Scotland and suggested “years of SNP police cuts” were part of the problem. The cost-of-living crisis and the Covid pandemic may have played parts in the rising numbers, but understanding people’s motivations does not excuse their actions.
Basic standards of decency
The problem with allowing so many crimes to go unpunished – and with Police Scotland’s policy not to investigate some ‘minor’ crimes – is that it encourages more serious offences by suggesting there are few boundaries. The early release of prisoners from our overcrowded jails also adds to the impression that criminals can ‘get away with it’.
A similar situation can be seen in Scotland’s schools where pupils who swear or even use violence can face little in the way of effective sanctions. When teachers are going on strike or leaving the profession because they’ve simply had enough, we know there is a real problem.
These are all warning signs of a breakdown of basic standards of decency and, potentially, law and order itself. This is normally Conservative territory, but with the Tories increasingly embracing their role as Reform UK’s junior populist partner, Labour may be sensing an opportunity to win over ‘One Nation’ Tories from the left of the party.
But politicians of all stripes should be concerned before this burgeoning culture of criminality spreads even further.