This is Jon Venables aged twelve. The Children’s Commissioner suggested yesterday that the age of responsibility for any crime should be raised from ten to twelve. Large swathes of New Labour want the voting age reduced to sixteen.

There is no reasoning behind such suggestions: it is what it seems to be – random muddle.

Bulger’s mother has this morning called the Childrens’ Commissioner “twisted”. But being mad has got nothing to do with it. The problem lies – as ever with those who call themselves progressive – that they never look ahead and progress where their ideas will end up.

Jack Dromey wants murderers in prison to have the vote. Who’s next – the insane? Foetuses? Horses?

Who are the clowns with these ideas? What shapes them? How are they allowed to get into positions of enormous power?

The answer is simple: the only people in their way are more clowns like them.