Peter Bedford MP took to the House of Commons chamber during a key debate to call out the Sentencing Council’s divisive and dangerous proposals, which he said amounted to the creation of a “two-tier justice system.”
The proposals in question would see pre-sentence reports potentially offered to Black, Asian and other ethnic minority offenders. These reports could result in lighter sentencing for criminals from ethnic minority groups, while white offenders in the same position would not be given the same opportunity.
Peter didn’t hold back. “That is not equality. That is not justice. That is discrimination,” he told the House.
Speaking in the debate, Peter made clear that justice should never be determined by the colour of a person’s skin, their religion, or their cultural background. “Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done” he said.
He welcomed the Second Reading of a Bill designed to rein in the unelected and unaccountable Sentencing Council, whom he criticised for “espousing the ideology of the liberal-dinner party set” while ignoring the principle of equality under the law.
Peter also raised the staggering cost of quangos to the British taxpayer of £64 billion a year.
He added that: “Parliament must be sovereign,” and that democratic institutions should “not continue to come up against a bureaucratic brick wall.”
He praised the Shadow Lord Chancellor for taking a stand when the Government had not. “While the Lord Chancellor let the Sentencing Council run rings around her, it has been our side of the House that has stood up for fairness and common sense.”
Peter warned that this issue isn’t theoretical—it’s already happening. He pointed to disparities in policing and the justice system, including cases where individuals have faced harsh punishment for online comments, while serious crimes like grooming were overlooked for fear of “offending sensitivities.”
“We are allowing ideology to replace fairness. We are replacing justice with activism,” he said. “The British people see it, they feel it, and they want it to end.”
Peter and his Conservative colleagues have promised to continue fighting to restore a justice system based on equality—one rule for all, not different rules based on race, culture, or background.
