Conservatives’ new anti-social behaviour fines are better money grabs than IR35 and the loan charge

By Katherine Steiner-Dicks Last updated Mar 30, 2023

Photo by urbanalistic via Pexels

OPINION

Fines for anti-social behaviour are going up following Rishi Sunak’s new crackdown. Money grabs like these arguably make more sense than others like IR35 and the loan charge since they protect society and boost the Treasury’s purse in a fair way. We report on the latest fines and criminal charges.

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The days are numbered for Britain’s naughty. PM Rishi Sunak is making anti-social behaviour a very costly business indeed. The previous fines were equivalent to being sent to the naughty step, now it’s equivalent to a week’s worth of extra chores and no access to the internet.

But in all seriousness, I am for laws that will protect our kids, keep our historic buildings graffiti-fee, and city streets and countryside litter-free. The new heightened fines make more sense than economically harmful policies like IR35 and the HMRC’s loan charge.

Getting tough on possession of harmful substances, for example, that happen to be trending with school-aged children could also save lives. The Prime Minister revealed the plans to ban the illegitimate use of laughing gas by making it a Class C drug. This would mean that if users were caught in possession of it, users could face jail time and unlimited fines, according to reports.

Here are some of the new fines being put in place by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to tackle anti-social behaviour:

⬆️ Littering: was £150 now up to £500

⬆️ Graffiti: was £150 now up to £500

⬆️ Fly tipping: was £400 now up to £1000

Here is how Rishi Sunak is cracking down on anti-social behaviour

“I made a promise in January that we will work tirelessly to crack down on anti-social behaviour. For too long, people have put up with it ruining their neighbourhoods,” Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

“These are not minor crimes,” he said. “They disrupt people’s daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.

That’s why I’m bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all – so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.

“This is how the new measures will affect you.”

Tougher punishments for criminals

Sunak said that those responsible for offences such as vandalism or graffitiing will start cleaning up their crimes as quickly as possible. He is aiming for offenders to start work within 48 hours of receiving an order.

“Victims and affected communities will also get a say in deciding what type of punishment or consequences offenders should face, alongside input from local police and crime commissioners,” said Sunak.

Ban on nitrous oxide

The Conservatives will ban nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas, putting an end to litter and intimidation in our parks so people feel safer.

The ban will also help save children from nitrous oxide-related deaths or permanent physical or mental damage. There have been more deaths annually related to nitrous oxide in the last 8 years, compared to the 12 years before that.

Test more criminals for illegal drugs

The police will also now be able to drug test criminals who take illegal drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamine, and we will drug test offenders who have committed a wider range of crimes, like violence against women and girls, serious violence, and anti-social behaviour.

Tougher fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping

“We are increasing the upper limit on fines for littering and graffitiing from £150 to £500 and fines for fly-tipping will increase from £400 to £1,000,” said Sunak.

He continued, “We will also support councils to hand out more of these fines to disrespectful offenders, with councils keeping these fines to reinvest in clean up and enforcement.”

Sunak said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will aim to make it quicker for private landlords to evict anti-social tenants after serving notice, as well as broaden the disruptive and harmful activities that can lead to eviction.

“We will also strengthen rules so previous anti-social behaviour perpetrators are deprioritised for new council housing,” he said.

“By establishing a zero-tolerance approach where offenders know they will face the full consequences of their actions – we can prevent more of these crimes from happening in the first place.

“I am determined to tackle these crimes with the urgency they deserve, restoring your confidence that these will be quickly and visibly punished,” he concluded.