Starmer vows to bring respect back to Britain, as Labour rolls out plan to tackle antisocial behaviour

Speaking to This Morning, Starmer vows to bring respect back to Britain, as Labour rolls out plan to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Speaking exclusively to ITV’s This Morning, Keir Starmer vowed today to bring respect back into Britain’s communities, as he outlines tough measures to stamp out antisocial behaviour from Britain’s towns and cities.

Citing his experience as Director of Public Prosecutions, Starmer pledges today that “no-one will be above the law in a Britain that I lead, and no crime or misdemeanour will be brushed under the carpet.”

As the Labour leader slams the Conservatives for losing control of Britain’s streets, Labour analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales shows 30% of the public feel that antisocial behaviour has got worse in their local area over recent years. Yet almost 50% of victims do not bother to report it due to a lack of confidence that offenders will face consequences.

Starmer confirms today that a Labour government would set up a bespoke new “Respect Order” to crack down on persistent adult offenders. He will also announce new ‘Zero-Tolerance Zones’ to tackle problem behaviour in areas with high levels of antisocial behaviour. 

With power of arrest on breach, the tough new powers will allow authorities to ban problem individuals from designated Zero-Tolerance Zones, and crack down on behaviour like street drinking in hotspot areas.

To enforce the measures, Starmer will set out Labour’s plans for 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs as part of a new Community Policing Guarantee. With Labour, these new officers will deliver guaranteed town centre patrols, patrolling ASB hotspots using hotspot policing (data-driven techniques to flood officers to areas where crime and antisocial behaviour is frequent) and bringing offenders to justice.

Starmer warns that allowing antisocial behaviour to go unchecked is holding back growth in local communities and undermining respect across Britain.

Commenting, Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“Respect is something I care deeply about. I served as Chief Prosecutor for five years because I believe those who respect the law must be protected, victims must get justice and those who flout the law must carry the consequences.

“The Tories have lost control of our streets. They talk tough, but look at their record, not their rhetoric. They’ve allowed antisocial behaviour to spiral, suppressing growth in our communities and undermining respect across Britain.

“With my changed Labour Party, Britain’s authorities will get the tough powers and extra manpower they need to stamp out the crime and disorder of Tory Britain.

“Labour will bring confidence and pride back to our communities. We’ll take our town centres back from the yobs. And we will bring respect back to Britain.”

Ends

Notes:

Labour analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales shows 30% of the public feel that antisocial behaviour has got worse in their local area over recent years. Yet almost 50% of victims do not bother to report it due to a lack of confidence that offenders will face consequences. Crime in England and Wales: Annual supplementary tables - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

Since 2015, the proportion of criminal damage offences resulting in a charge or out-of-court disposal has fallen from 16.1% to 7.5%. Meanwhile, millions of hours of community payback has gone unspent, and the Tories’ flagship Community Trigger – introduced to protect victims of persistent anti-social behaviour – is hardly being used. Crime outcomes can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/crime-outcomes-in-england-and-wales-statisticsTab 2_2

According to YouGov, 1 in 10 people have been forced to move home due to persistent antisocial behaviour. https://www.resolveuk.org.uk/images/YouGov2023.pdf   

Labour’s plan to tackle antisocial behaviour includes:

• A new Community Policing Guarantee, including:
• • 13,000 neighbourhood police officers & PCSOs to patrol ASB hotspots and resolve community concerns
  • Respect Orders, with repeat adult offenders banned from problem areas and forced to clean up their town centres
  • Zero-tolerance zones for anti-social behaviour, with new expedited PSPOs in town centres to prevent persistent anti-social activities like street drinking, harassment and littering.
• A national register of private landlords, to deal with landlords failing to tackle ASB in their rented properties.
• A statutory duty for local partners to cooperate to tackle antisocial behaviour.
• National guidelines for local authorities and police forces on data collection.
• Town centre policing plans developed in consultation with the local community, with local residents and retailers involved in agreeing priorities for police in town centres, giving local people a say in how their local area is policed.