Ethics committee setting the standard?

Our report on the first meeting of Peterborough City Council’s ethics committee was accompanied by a deep sigh. Designed to monitor standards of behaviour by councillors and deal with complaints it should be an excellent way to tighten up on some of the issues we have seen (and reported) in recent months. Councillors squaring up to each other, insults hurled, recriminations and questionable reactions are what the ethics committee is there to try to stop. And yet, we saw some examples of that type of behaviour during and after the meeting itself. Politicians have power vested in them by the electorate and we voters like to think that power is used in the right spirit and the business of politics is conducted with dignity and respect, however forthright the debate and passionate the issues. We’re not holding our breath though.

Knife deterrent

Teenagers Felix Marshall-Williams and Mark Makundi committed a very serious crime. Their victim survived a knife attack but could have died. The PT successfully petitioned the judge in the case to allow us to name Marshall-Williams. Normally the identity of defendants who are under 18 is protected. But restrictions on reporting the identity of teenage defendants can be lifted at the discretion of the judge in the case. We asked for Judge Sean Enright to consider this in the case of Marshall-Williams because of the seriousness of the offence and because we believe it is in the public’s interest to know his identity. We believe that naming him will act as a serious deterrent to other teenagers who consider carrying or using a knife. We hope Marshall-Williams regrets his actions. We hope he serves whatever punishment the court deems appropriate, learns his lesson and rebuilds his life after paying his debt to society. We also hope every teenager who reads his story understands the terrible consequences of carrying and using a knife.