Labour promises a new drive against violent crime within month of election
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A fresh drive against violent crime, giving police and courts tougher powers to deal with guns and knives, would be launched by Labour within a month of re-election, Tony Blair pledged yesterday.
A fresh drive against violent crime, giving police and courts tougher powers to deal with guns and knives, would be launched by Labour within a month of re-election, Tony Blair pledged yesterday.
Publishing the party's law and order mini-manifesto, he set out plans for stronger laws on the sale of weapons, more drug-testing of prolific offenders and renewed action on binge-drinking.
The Prime Minister insisted crime had fallen and police numbers had risen since 1997 and he added: "If we are elected, there will be a further step-change."
But the Tories derided the plans as a rehash of old ideas, protesting that gun crime had doubled and knife-related murders had risen by one-third over the last five years.
Law and order is certain to be an election battle-ground, with the Tories convinced the Government is vulnerable on the issue.
Under the promised Labour Bill, the minimum age for buying a knife will be raised from 16 to 18 and headteachers will receive the power to search pupils for knives. Offenders who commit serious crime using knives could also face a mandatory minimum sentence. Under-18s would be banned from buying replica guns and tough controls introduced on the manufacture of imitation weapons to stop them being converted to live firearms.
A new offence of using children to hide or carry guns will be introduced. Labour also promised further increases in community support officers (CSOs) to provide "neigh-bourhood policing" for every community. It pledged to have recruited 24,000 CSOs by 2008, creating 36 million extra hours of visible patrolling.
Binge-drinking would be tackled with a "three strikes" policy under which persistent trouble-makers would be banned from city centres.
David Davis, shadow Home Secretary, said: "We've heard it all before. As a consequence of this Government's policies, violent anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol-related crime have gone up."
Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "Gun crime has doubled under Labour and misuse of imitation firearms is a growing menace. Action on replica weapons and knives is long overdue, but age is not the only issue. Steps must be taken to regulate sales over the internet, where the age of the buyer is difficult to determine."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments