Labour leader has pledged to take the
strongest action in a generation to cut knife crime, as part of a
“moral mission” at the heart of the next Labour government.
Starmer has today announced Labour's action plan to cut knife
crime, including support for a new cross-government coalition
composed not only of Government Ministers and organisations and
tech companies but crucially including families of those killed
by knives and survivors of knife crime.
If a Labour government is elected, Starmer has pledged to chair
an annual knife crime summit to track progress in meeting
Labour's mission to halve knife crime incidents within a decade.
It comes following a number of recent high-profile stabbings
across the country, including the conviction of two 12-year-old
boys for the murder of Shawn Seesahai in the West Midlands, and
recent stabbings in Bournemouth and Epsom.
Knife crime and improving the safety of young people on the
streets is an issue “above and beyond party politics”, Starmer
says, promising both cross-government and cross-party work to
reduce incidents.
Knife crime has soared across the country in recent years, with
knife offending up 81 per cent since 2015. Some of the steepest
increases in knife crime have been outside major cities, such as
a 110 per cent increase in Cleveland, a 122 per cent increase in
Hertfordshire and a 107 per cent increase in Staffordshire.
The Labour Party's comprehensive action plan to cut knife crime
will see:
-
Tough consequences for carrying a knife,
including guaranteed sanctions and serious interventions for
young people found carrying knives and supporting the use of
custody in the most serious cases of knife possession
-
A bold new Young Futures programme, targeted
in every area to identify the young people most at risk of with
a package of support that responds to the challenges they are
facing
-
Getting knives off our streets, extending the
list of knives banned for possession, and a rapid review of
online knife sales.
-
A new cross-government coalition to end knife
crime, bringing together political and community
leaders, and others with a role to play in tackling knife crime
and keeping young people safe
-
Ending exploitation of children and young
people, creating a new offence of child criminal
exploitation and delivering a strengthened Serious &
Organised Crime Strategy
, Leader of the Labour Party,
said:
“Knife crime is an issue above and beyond party politics.
“For the parents grieving sons and daughters who never came home,
action to end this scourge cannot wait. Far too often we hear the
same stories from grieving families who have been subject to
these brutal murders carried out by children.
“It is our duty as political leaders of all stripes to work
together to end knife crime and keep our young people safe.
“Cutting knife crime will be a moral mission for the next Labour
government. Our new cross-government coalition will put knife
crime victims and their families at the heart of government,
working with us to take the strongest action in a generation to
end this tragic crime.”
Ends
Notes
Crime in England and Wales, Police Force Area data tables, year
to December 2023, table P6 - https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables
