David Cameron to call for 'tough but intelligent' approach to law and order David Cameron will say a combination of tough prison sentences and lighter punishments is necessary. David Cameron will call for a new "tough but intelligent" approach to law and order on Monday in a speech to get him back on the front foot after a string of controversies. In an attempt to change the terms of the debate about the punishment of offenders, the prime minister will say that a combination of tough prison sentences and lighter rehabilitation methods is necessary. Aides said he was not seeking to take a harder line on law and order issues to appease critics of his "hug a hoodie" philosophy from the Tory right. Instead he will try to find a middle ground between those who call for tougher sentencing and others who want to see more rehabilitation of offenders. He will say that the commonsense approach is to do both. The speech comes after he used last month's reshuffle to replace Ken Clarke, who attracted accusations of being soft on sentencing, with the more hardline Chris Grayling as justice secretary. Grayling is expected to increase the use of payment by results for private companies who help rehabilitate offenders, but he also wants to make community sentences tougher, with a "punitive element" to every order. Another initiative is a "two strikes and you're out" policy for serious violent and sexual offenders, with an automatic life sentence after a second offence. The Mail on Sunday reported that the home secretary, Theresa May, was set to unveil moves to tackle gun-runners who bring firearms into the UK for criminal gangs. There will be a new offence of possession of an illegal firearm with intent to supply, carrying a maximum life sentence - up from 10 years for black market smugglers at present. The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the government had been "weak and foolish" in its attitude to policing. "David Cameron is undermining the police in their work against crime and antisocial behaviour," she said. A new slogan is a fat lot of use when he is cutting 15,000 police officers, reducing police powers to deal with criminals including on DNA, CCTV and asbos, undermining police morale, arrests are down and the number of serious crimes reaching court is falling. People will see these new promises on sentencing and immediately ask if the detectives and officers will be there to catch the criminals in the first place. Far from being tough and intelligent, the government has proved weak and foolish in its attitude to the police - be it at the gates of Downing Street or inside Number 10.