This Government has failed to address the root causes of knife crime - Abbott

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on Government proposals to increase restrictions on the online sales of knives, said:

"Any and all sensible measures to prevent knife crime should be considered, but this measure is likely to be marginal at best.

“The truth is this Government has failed to address the root causes of knife crime. They have not mounted effective anti-knives campaigns in schools and colleges, the voluntary agreement signed with retailers just last year clearly has not worked, and they have repeatedly broken their promises on sentencing for knife possession

“Meanwhile, the police have lost over 20,000 officers since 2010 and cuts to local authority budgets have seen youth centres and services close across the country. All of this amounts to a record of failure by this Tory government."