Labour urges government to ban ninja swords and make tech execs liable for illegal weapons sold on online marketplaces
|
Labour will use an Opposition Day debate today (Tuesday) to call on
the government to extend its recent ban of dangerous weapons to
include ninja swords, and to extend criminal liability to online
marketplaces which sell illegal weapons. Last month Labour leader
Keir Starmer met the family of Ronan Kanda who was fatally stabbed
outside his house aged 16, using a so-called ‘ninja sword’ and
heard the pleas of his mother Pooja that these dangerous weapons be
banned. ...Request free trial
Labour will use an Opposition Day debate today (Tuesday) to call on the government to extend its recent ban of dangerous weapons to include ninja swords, and to extend criminal liability to online marketplaces which sell illegal weapons. Last month Labour leader Keir Starmer met the family of Ronan Kanda who was fatally stabbed outside his house aged 16, using a so-called ‘ninja sword’ and heard the pleas of his mother Pooja that these dangerous weapons be banned. Ronan’s assailants Pradjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, both underage at the time of the incident, attacked Ronan with a ninja sword bought online and collected from the Post Office, where they were not asked to show any identification. After their meeting Keir Starmer said: "I am a parent of teenagers myself, of all the things I have ever done speaking to a parent who has lost their knife crime is the most difficult thing I have ever done." Starmer pledged that a Labour government will implement a total crackdown on the availability of knives on Britain’s streets - no more loopholes, no more caveats, no more false promises. He also set out that Labour would launch a rapid end-to-end review on online knife selling to toughen up ID requirements and crack down on unlawful supply of knives to under-18s. Labour would establish criminal sanctions for tech executives who fail to prevent their online marketplaces from being used to enable illegal knife sales. Today, Labour is calling on Conservative MPs to back these calls in the House of Commons. Keir Starmer also set out a radical action plan which would mean that with a Labour government, any young person caught with a knife will have a bespoke action plan to prevent reoffending, which could include sanctions such as curfews, tagging, or behavioural contracts - to run alongside coordinated parental and education interventions. The Labour leader also said how Labour's prevention programme Young Futures would work with young people to stop them from becoming involved in violent crime by identifying those most at risk and building a package of support that responds to the challenges they are facing. Mother of Ronan Kanda, Pooja Kanda, said: ''I cannot understand why the government continue to allow the sale of swords when these weapons have no purpose other than to seriously threaten, harm or kill. “On 29 June 2022, a 20-inch ninja sword that was purchased online and collected by a 16-year-old from a post office as if it was a loaf of bread, was used to murder my son. This sword went 17 cm straight through Ronan's heart in a matter of seconds and killed him instantly. My son didn't stand a chance. This same sword is not included in the government's ban and can still be sold today. “The boy that murdered my son also confessed that he had previously bought nearly 30 swords, machetes, and zombie knives online and that he was selling these on to others for profit. “It doesn't take much to understand that swords are lethal weapons, especially when they are in the wrong hands. The government must use its upcoming ban to truly restrict the availability of these weapons. The ban must include swords, online sales must be addressed and ID checks for home deliveries and collection points must be enforced with tougher sanctions.'' Tough new laws to restrict the sale of knives: A Labour government will implement a total crackdown on the availability of knives on Britain’s streets - no more loopholes, no more caveats, no more false promises. The government has published 17 press releases about zombie knives since 2015, yet despite repeated promises to toughen the rules, a full ban is still not in place. Labour will:
Alex Norris MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, said: “Knife crime destroys lives and leaves families and communities reeling. “The government has a duty to do everything it can to stop these dangerous weapons getting into the hands of teenagers and those who would do harm. “Dangerous weapons like ninja swords which have been used to kill teenagers like Ronan Kanda are still available on Britain’s streets. Still, law-breaking online platforms who profit from these illegal sales are being let off with a slap on the wrist instead of facing criminal sanctions. “Labour wants to close these glaring loopholes in the government’s plans and are asking the Conservatives and other parties to vote with us to do so.” Ends Notes: Opposition Day debate – motion wording: Banning Knives and Swords from UK Streets That this House condemns the Government for overseeing a 77 per cent increase in knife crime since 2015; recognises the devastating impact that knife crime has on victims, their families and the wider community; acknowledges that the Government recently announced measures to ban zombie knives and machetes; believes, nonetheless, that this legislation does not go nearly far enough, meaning that a number of dangerous types of knives and swords will remain legal and available on UK streets; therefore calls on the Government to address the shortcomings of the ban by extending it to cover ninja swords and consulting on a further extension; and further calls for the Government to establish an end-to-end review of online knife sales and introduce criminal liability for senior management of websites which indirectly sell illegal knives online. Sources: Online knife sales: Online knife sales present three major issues: (1) supervision of websites selling legal knives, (2) decentralised marketplaces hosting illegal knife sales, and (3) interception of knives ordered online and delivered from overseas.
Young Futures:
Labour’s new Young Futures programme will draw on up to £100
million a year, based on combining existing commitments to fund
youth hubs with mental health staff and youth workers in every
community paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools, and
mentors in pupil referral units and youth workers in A&E paid
for by full cost recovery for gun licensing, and a programme of
public sector reform to deliver:
Tough consequences for carrying a knife:
A Labour government will end the empty warnings and apology
letters for knife possession, guaranteeing sanctions and serious
interventions for young people carrying knives:
Tough new laws to restrict the sale of knives: A Labour government will implement a total crackdown on the availability of knives on Britain’s streets - no more loopholes, no more caveats, no more false promises. The government has published 17 press releases about zombie knives since 2015, yet despite repeated promises to toughen the rules, a full ban is still not in place. Labour will:
|