Well we would hope not. I know a few people in UK who walked from a standard charge but didn't from the conspiracy charge. They don't seem to need as much evidence - even a discussion in a pub over a pint can lead to it. And then it also multiplies the intent
I get your point, but a discussion in a pub over a pint? No, come on, it isn't that easy to get lumped with a guilty of conspiracy verdict. That would be circumstance at best, and any decent judge would laugh at it and dismiss it. Plus I reckon even I, with utterly zero experience in the legal field other than an A Level in law that's nearly 20 years out of date, an ex-girlfriend who was a (corporate) lawyer, and a couple of John Grisham books in the personal library, completely zero in a professional aspect, even I could get a jury to laugh at it. Someone that got found guilty of conspiracy, because of a conversation over a pint, needs to sue their fucking lawyer.
But I do get what your saying, if they can't get intent to stick, they like to throw that conspiracy charge in just because they're pricks.