Tories have failed on knife crime – Diane Abbott

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to reports of the increase in the number of women and girls carrying knives, said:

“The sharp rise in women and young girls carrying knives shows that the Tories have failed the vulnerable and put us all at risk. After all their cuts, pledging now to replace the police officers that they removed rings hollow. They’ve said nothing about the cuts to education, youth services, housing, mental health and all the factors that contribute to rising crime.  You really can’t trust the Tories to tackle it.

“We need to follow the evidence, which is that a public health approach is desperately needed to ensure we are steering vulnerable young people away from knife crime.”