Sir Keir Starmer is set to be joined by Idris Elba as part of efforts to come up with a plan for tackling knife crime in London and beyond. The prime minister will welcome the actor to Downing Street on Monday to launch a coalition to drive forward initiatives to keep dangerous weapons off British streets and stop young people from being dragged into violent gangs. The coalition will bring together campaign groups, families of people who have lost their lives to knife crime, and young people who have been affected by it – as well as knife crime campaigner Elba and home secretary Yvette Cooper. Technology companies, sporting organisations, the health service, and the police are also involved in what is expected to the first annual knife crime summit. The coalition will work with experts to develop an understanding of what causes young people to be dragged into knife crime. Decisions will be especially relevant in London with Office for National Statistics data showing that 14,626 knife offences were recorded by police in the capital over the 12 months to the end of last December. Knife and gun crime in London both leapt by 20 per cent last year amid a surge in blade robberies, teenage homicides and firearms offending. “We need to tackle the root causes of knife crime, not just the symptoms,” said Elba ahead of the meeting. He added: “The coalition is a positive step toward rehabilitating our communities from the inside out.” The prime minister is expected to share how personal the task is for him, drawing from his legal career. Ahead of the gathering, Sir Keir said: “As director of public prosecutions, I saw first hand the devastating impact that knife crime has on young people and their families. This is a national crisis that we will tackle head on. “We will take this moment to come together as a country – politicians, families of victims, young people themselves, community leaders and tech companies – to halve knife crime and take back our streets.” Ministers have already taken steps to ban so-called ninja swords, and plan to strengthen the laws around the online sales of knives. Sir Keir previously met with Elba and the King to put forward Labour’s strategy to reduce knife crime in the capital. Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead for knife crime, has been tasked with leading a rapid review to understand how these weapons are sold online and delivered to under 18s, and to close loopholes in the law. He will report back to the home secretary by the end of the year. Ms Cooper said: “Getting weapons off our streets and making sure there are tough and clear consequences for violence are vital. “And we also need to prevent young people heading down this path – that means offering young people more hope, more opportunities.” The announcement is the first step in the Government’s 10-year plan to tackle knife crime, which will be central to its mission to keep our streets safe.
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