Decriminalising rough sleeping will do little to help the homeless ^64.4%

spiked - By Samiksha Bhattacharjee - 7/6/2026, 6:30 PM

Hasty Generalization 30.6% - Confirmation Bias 24.4% - Negativity Bias 17.1%

A 200-year-old relic of the Georgian era has finally been buried. Labour’s recent decision to repeal the 1824 Vagrancy Act means that rough sleeping and begging have officially been decriminalised across England and Wales. Predictably, the commentary pages have been filled with back-slapping. Campaigners are calling it a ‘watershed... more