Political Editor - Tough Line on Knives

Reading East MP Backs Cameron’s Tough Line on Knives

8th July 2008

Rob Wilson MP has today hailed David Cameron’s tough line on knife crime during a recent speech in Scotland. The Conservative Party leader has called on the Government to toughen up on knife crime, stating that anyone caught carrying a knife without a good excuse should expect to be sent to prison. If this becomes law after the next General Election, this will deliver one of the key planks of the Knives Costs Lives campaign in Reading. Only last week Rob criticised the Government for its poor record on tackling knife-related crime.

When someone is caught with a knife, the punishment should reflect the seriousness of the crime. Earlier this year, figures released by the Labour Government revealed that under their regime, just 9 out of the 48,000 people convicted of knife possession since 1997 received the maximum prison sentence of 2 years.

Rob said, “I am pleased that David Cameron is taking a lead on this, it’s a major part of the Party’s attempt to mend Britain’s broken society, shattered by years of neglect by Labour. Too many offenders get let off with a warning and it’s about time that we sit up and demand to know why is this being allowed to happen?”

During his speech, David Cameron stated that, under Labour, knife related crime had become a problem of “epidemic proportions”.

“Cameron said that we need to send a clear message that carrying a knife on our streets is completely inexcusable and unacceptable in a civilised society, and I believe that the tough line he is taking on this only goes to show that we are the only party that can mend ‘Broken Britain’,” Rob added, “people can expect a Conservative Government to take tough action to deal with crime and disorder, and this announcement by the party leader only goes to show that.”

The Conservatives have announced wide-reaching plans to cut police paperwork- including the ‘stop and account’ form, to get officers back on the street, and extend stop and search powers to crack down hard on knife possession.

“One thing is clear,” Rob said, “We need an overhaul in approach, at every level, to tackle this violence on our streets, and the Government is simply not doing enough.”