Boris Johnson’s crackdown on crime is just ‘smoke and mirrors,’ according to a number of experts. Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, Tim Bale, said: “A lot of this is smoke and mirrors and very little of it is based on real evidence.” But he added: “Large numbers of people take a pretty hardline approach to crime and punishment. This will appeal not just to Tory voters but also to a lot of floating voters and people who support the Brexit Party.” Professor Bale said that there was a “small window of opportunity” before the October 31 Brexit deadline in which to hold a general election that could return a Conservative government. “This is just another piece of the jigsaw and it strikes me the jigsaw is a picture of a general election,” he added.Find out more