Responding to the statistics released today from the ONS that show knife crime offences have hit a record high in England and Wales, rising 7% in the last year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said: “To hear that knife crime has hit a record high in England and Wales demonstrates more than ever this Tory Government’s failure to tackle the rising violence across the UK.
“Far too many young lives are being lost due to this epidemic of serious violence. Rather than talking tough, it is time Boris Johnson looked at the evidence and made changes that will actually help cut crime.
“The UK already imprisons more people than any other country in Western Europe, and whilst the Conservatives have already tried to introduce tougher prison sentences for knife crime, knife crime has continued to rise.
“Instead of wasting money on measures that aren’t working, the Conservative Government must invest in measures that will actually make our streets safer, such as community policing and youth services. To continue to fail to act is to allow more lives to be tragically lost.”