The Left has never believed in tough sentencing, preferring to see criminals as victims of circumstance rather than the menace to society they really are. This Labour government seems determined to follow that misguided tradition of soft justice, regardless of the threat to public safety. Almost every criminal justice reform it has brought in since the election has been designed to jail fewer criminals for a shorter time. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood cut the standard prison term from 50 to 40 per cent of sentence, resulting in two mass releases. Amid scenes of jubilation, lags were swanning out of jail early to be whisked off by limousine for champagne celebrations.