Is it easy to gain employment with criminal conviction

Yes. My convictions are spent anyway so I don’t declare them at all. I have a good, say 9/10 success rate at interview.

Out of 20 or so interviews I’ve had over the last few years, maybe 2 or 3 have asked why the 12 year gap in employment and out of those, not one asked what I did time for. Maybe they didn’t care? Maybe they were uncomfortable asking?

Out of the couple that did ask, I was offered the job anyway.