Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP
As your MP and a local resident, I am often told of your concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour in the area, particularly knife crime.
Worryingly, the B23 postcode had the highest number of reported knife crime incidences in Birmingham last year, according to the latest figures. This is not a coincidence, but it is the direct result of the Tory Government’s failure to tackle the root causes of knife crime.
Under the Tories, knife crime has gone up by 77% since 2015. Ministers have slashed funding for vital public services, such as education, health, and youth work. They have cut 21,000 police officers since the last Labour Government, leaving our streets less safe and less protected.
However, this can change. Labour has a plan to invest in our communities and give our young people their future back. Labour will:
- Extend the ban on zombie knives to ninja swords.
- Establish an end-to-end review of online knife sales.
- Close the loophole that allows online marketplaces to sell dangerous knives.
- Introduce a new Young Futures programme to establish new youth hubs, with both mental health workers and youth workers.
For too long, the Tories have been soft on knife crime and soft on the causes of knife crime. Labour would put the safety and security of our community at the heart of its government.
Together, we can end the knife crime epidemic and build a better future for Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale.
For more on Paulette Hamilton MP for Erdington visit www.paulettehamilton.org