Patrick O’Flynn

has a notably steely glint in her eyes when she tells criminals “we are coming after you”.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is a considerable improvement on his predecessor, the dependably wrongheaded David Gauke.

As well as 20,000 new police officers being recruited, the hitherto standard practice of releasing offenders on licence after they have served just half their sentences is to be curtailed. That tariff will be raised to two-thirds for the most serious sexual and violent offenders.The idea of scrapping all sub six-month jail dumped too.

The idea that coming down harder on criminals is a “rightwing” thing to do is also being effectively debunked by ministers. It is, after all, law-abiding people in working class communities who take the brunt of crime. They are much more likely to be assaulted in the street, to have their homes burgled or their property vandalised.

Let us hope that a more balanced appreciation of the aims of prison will also be forthcoming. In recent years the debate terms has been