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Knife Thugs Must Go to Prison - We Promised...

Nick de Bois wonders why the Tory manifesto pledge on knife crime appears only to apply to over 18s.

By Nick de Bois

6 Sep 2011, 19:02

“Today, almost four out of every five people found guilty of a knife crime escape jail. We have to send a serious, unambiguous message that carrying a knife is totally unacceptable, so we will make it clear that anyone convicted of a knife crime can expect to face a prison sentence.” This is an incredibly bold statement, wholly applicable to the situation this country faces at present, and perfectly reflecting the recent knife crime figures that were released. Yet this is not a recent quotation. This extract appeared in the Conservative Party manifesto in 2010. The manifesto I was elected on, and that led to the formation of the Conservative-led Coalition Government. Yet now, due to the temptations of budget savings and the pull of a liberal democrat 'differentiation strategy', we are moving away from this tough line on one of the greatest challenges facing urban communities.

Nowhere is this shift more noticeable than in the area of youth justice. The Sentencing Bill currently going through the Commons states that an individual convicted of a knife offence will receive a minimum six month prison sentence, yet this only applies to over eighteen year olds. This is simply not good enough. The manifesto I was elected on was clear. Anyone convicted of a knife crime can expect a prison sentence. If the recent riots showed us anything, it's that sixteen and seventeen year olds are just as capable of making criminal decisions as those in their early twenties. They should face the same punishment in the event that they threaten or assault an innocent member of the community with a knife. We should be under no illusion that once a fifteen year old has threatened someone with a knife, they are a danger to those around them. The function of prison here is clear; remove this threat to the community from the streets.

When I talked to people in my constituency before the last election, the topic that drew most emotion was youth crime. People wanted a restoration of order after thirteen years of ASBO-fuelled Labour failure. Too often the gangs of teenagers outside the off licence or on the park bench were allowed to mug, assault and intimidate without repercussion. The police could only move them on, and even if they were arrested they would be back with their friends on the same park bench in a couple of weeks, as a constant reminder to the community who walked past that they were untouchable. This brazen attitude of criminal youth has led to the public knife fights and gang disputes that have ravaged parts of my constituency, taking place in areas as open as fields and fast food shops. Young families, the elderly, innocent civilians can only avoid the streets, close their blinds, and hope that things change. We as the party of law and order promised to be that change. To not deliver on our promise would be a betrayal to those who had faith in our manifesto pledge to lock up those who brought weapons on to our pavements.

Those who criticise my amendment as short sighted or regressive should not be mistaken, I agree entirely that we should focus on what leads to the creation of teenage criminals. Social breakdown, economic difficulty, fatherless families; these are all essential factors that need to be addressed to decrease long term trends in crime. I fully welcome the increased investment in early intervention and the excellent work being done by Iain Duncan Smith to fix the broken elements of our society. I also welcome the work being done by the Education Secretary to restore discipline to classrooms and hand power back to teaching staff. However, it is important to remember that these are long-term projects. When judges are faced with a teenager who has been convicted of knife crime, what has led them to that point should not be in their minds. What is important is what happens next. The options are to give a community based sentence, allowing the criminal to remain on the streets with a number of damaging influences where they continue to terrorise the community, or to take them into custody and remove them from the environment that has led them to their present situation. While in prison they can gain qualifications, develop a sense of contrition and begin to reform.

I would never be so naïve as to pretend that prison is the perfect environment for this reform. But given the option of the community or custody, we owe it to the public to keep teenage criminals off the streets. I made a promise to the electorate, and in order to deliver on that promise I am tabling my amendment.