Nick Clegg to unveil ‘riot payback scheme’ as No 10 agrees to inquiry

Clegg to say people convicted of rioting crimes should have to ‘look their victims in the eye’, while No 10 plans a ‘public engagement exercise’ to establish causes of disturbances Nick Clegg is announcing separate plans for a “riot payback scheme”, which would see people convicted of looting or violence in last week’s disturbances being made to do community service or take part in restorative justice programmes in the areas where crimes were committed. He will say that people convicted of crimes last week should have to “look their victims in the eye”. Clegg could also give details of plans for a commission of inquiry into the causes of the riots after it emerged that No 10 has conceded to Labour demands for a formal commission to investigate the causes of last week’s riots after behind-the-scenes cross-party talks co-ordinated by the Liberal Democrats. The Ministry of Justice is to ask the probation service to instigate the schemes in the cities where the riots took place. Offenders would take part in activities to help repair the damage done or to face their victims and apologise under the restorative justice principle. The deputy PM will tell a press conference in London: “I want offenders to be punished – and to change their ways. Victims of crime are only truly protected if punishment leads to criminals not committing crime again. Criminals must be punished and then made to change their ways. “That’s why those people who behaved so despicably last week should have to look their victims in the eye. They should have to see for themselves the consequences of their actions and they should be put to work cleaning up the damage and destruction they have caused so they don’t do it again. “We want people to be punished for their wrongdoing. We also want them to stop doing wrong. We want their future behaviour to change. We need punishment that sticks.” Clegg is said to be close to “brokering” a deal between the Conservatives and Labour into setting up a commission that would go into every neighbourhood affected by the disturbances to ask community members why the outbursts of violence occurred. David Cameron had previously ruled out a full public inquiry in the short term, claiming that the parliamentary select committee inquiries were adequate but the government has now signalled its intention for a “public engagement exercise”, with an independent chair, to establish the causes of the riots and looting. A Downing Street source said: “We are coming to the view that there is a case for community engagement about what happened and why. It would involve getting someone to go into the communities and find out why this all happened. It would be likely that it would be chaired by someone outside government. We’re coming to the view that some sort of engagement exercise would be useful.” The No10 source said it would not operate under the Inquiries Act and its precise nature had not been confirmed. Labour sources confirmed they were in talks with ministers about the plans and a Liberal Democrat source said Clegg was “brokering” the deal on how the commission would be established. Clegg has been privately considering such an inquiry since last week and his party has already commissioned its own research into the problems. On Monday Ed Miliband set out his demands for a commission of inquiry in a speech at Haverstock school, the comprehensive he attended in north London, which is situated close to some of the scenes of last week’s violence. He argued against an inquiry run by MPs, civil servants or the judiciary calling for the prime minister to “have the humility” to listen to the communities affected. “You should have nothing to fear from the truth,” he said. He added that if the government didn’t move to establish such an inquiry, the Labour party would. UK riots Nick Clegg Crime Police Polly Curtis guardian.co.uk

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