The Liberal Party notes with great sadness the news on the 22nd January that a 16-year-old youth has lost their life in Manchester after a fatal knifing incident. It is reported that the 4 teenagers arrested after the incident were all aged between just 15 and 17 years old.
Knife crime amongst the nations young people has extracted a tragic cost, with London alone recording 30 deaths in 2021, the highest total since 2008 when 29 lives were lost.
The party again calls for a comprehensive national response to such violence which blites communities and the families of both the victim’s, and those convicted of such offences who face lengthened custodial sentences.
Violent urban crime can only be tackled with a combination of community and police engagement, intervention, and where necessary enforcement with safeguards on the sale of bladed weapons.
As first step to mitigating knife crime the Liberal Party would support the creation a £1bn fund for local authorities to spend on youth services in the worst affected regions to guide young people away from knife and gang related crime.
Cllr Steve Radford
Leader of The Liberal Party