15 OCTOBER 2025 LETTER TO THE TIMES

21 OCTOBER 2025

Raymond Smith reported on the final of the Public Speaking Course on Monday 13 October 2025 with Rt Hon John Bercow Inside Time "Education, education, education. Make this make sense."

“I wanted to say a huge thank you to you and John Bercow for the invite to yesterday’s parliamentary debate at Pentonville. I am so sorry I could not stay to the end, but I thought what I saw was remarkable. I was gripped by the eloquent opening address by the Prime Minister and was really moved by the leader of the Opposition. I have known her for several years and have always known her to lack some confidence in this respect. To see her standing there, powerfully projecting “No, No and No!” showed me the impact that the course had on her. I thought the opening words of Jonathan and John really summed up what a difference the course will make to all involved. As you know I have been attending your extracurricular offers for some time now. This one was a bit special!” Ian Blakeman -Prison Group Director | LONDON

“I just wanted to thank you again for inviting me to attend yesterday – it was really lovely to see and I wish I had seen it from the beginning so I could have seen the improvements that everyone was talking about. Nonetheless, all of those involved were articulate, passionate and clearly cared about what they were doing – a great example of when these things work how good they can be!” – Reshma Malhotra - Senior Policy Advisor in the Prison Education team at MoJ

“I spent this morning in HMP Pentonville watching prisoners and officers take part in the final part of a debating course. The debate (this house believes that prison education should be funded and treated as equivalent to mainstream education) was parliamentary style, with former speaker John Bercow presiding. I saw intelligence, wit, humour, good manners and courage on display.” James Tweed, Coracle CEO

“I just wanted to say thanks for hosting such a great event this morning at Pentonville. It was inspirational – in terms of content and format.” Iain Haddow -Advisor – Radio, Audio and Music in Prisons - Rehabilitation and Change Directorate

7 JANUARY 2025

Jonathan Aitken has been invited to take part in The Times Crime and Justice Commission which has been set up to consider the future of policing and the criminal justice system, in the light of the knife crime crisis, a shoplifting epidemic, the growing threat of cybercrime, concerns about the culture of the police, court backlogs, problems with legal aid and overflowing.

The panel of commissioners will be Rachel Sylvester (chair), Peter Clarke, Nick Hardwick, Paul Johnson, Natasha Porter and Lade Smith.

IMPROVE YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING COURSE AT HMP PENTONVILLE

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 2024 AT 11AM an audience was invited to attend the debate of participants that included not only prisoners but prisoner officers which was the culmination of an 8 week public speaking course headed by The Rt Hon John Bercow. They debated the motion:

“This House believes that prisoners should be paid the London living wage for work done in prison.”

The Chapel was laid out to look like an imitation version of the House of Commons. A “Prime Minister” (a prisoner) proposed the motion and a “Leader of the Opposition” (a Prison Officer) opposed it. At least a dozen “Back Benchers” took part.

The debate was chaired in a parliamentary manner by “The Speaker” – The Rt Hon John Bercow returning to his former role.

Here is some Press:

December 2024 Inside Time MPs Flock to Prison Debate

September 14 Saskia Rowlands reports in The Mirror Exclusive:

Ex-Commons speaker John Bercow to bring 'Order!' to prison lags with new public speaking classes

Monday July 15 2024 Chance to Change / Friends of Pentonville helped to fund an XO Bikes Training Workshop which opened at the prison with guests that included HM Chief inspector of Prisons: Charlie Taylor, The Rt Hon Diane Abbott, The Rt Hon John Bercow and The Rt Hon Emily Thornberry amongst donors from other charities who have contributed to so much within the prison and many others. Food was provided by the excellent Liberty Kitchen.

Here is some press relating to that day which included presentations in relation to "Pride in Pentonville", a tour of the Neurodiversity Unit (NDU) and the opening of the XO Bikes Training Workshop which will train up to 60 prisoners a year in certified mechanics:

Read all about it in:

The Sun by Harry Goodwin

The Daily Mail in Eden Confidential

The Times by Laura Wildenberg and Matt Dathan

Inside Time by Ben Leapman