Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime

grayee Wed Jan 09, 2008 at 10:58:36 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Yesterday I received a news release from Labour London Assembly Leader, Len Duvall about Boris's attack on Ken for his supposed lack of leadership on gun and knife crime. This attack was a feature, in the ever so neutral and objective, London Evening Standard on Monday evening.

This is a ridiculous argument. Ken has always been consistently strong on law and order. His arguments that it is was the poor and vulnerable that suffered the most from crime and they needed protection by the Police, use to infuriate the left. Now the right are making fools of themselves (and worse) over what should be a serious issue, by claiming he is soft on crime.



Len’s comment on Boris was: -

BORIS MADE MORE SENSE WHEN HE KEPT QUIET

Londoners will see through Boris Johnson’s hollow words on knife crime according to Labour’s leader on the London Assembly.

Assembly Member Len Duvall today told a meeting at City Hall that Johnson’s lack of understanding was down to his self-imposed six-month exile from London politics.

Len said, “To suggest that the Mayor is to blame for the recent spate of appalling teenage violence just goes to show how much Boris Johnson has got to learn.

“We have a Mayor who has invested heavily in the police after years of Tory cuts when crime went through roof. We now have dedicated neighbourhood and transport policing teams and more police on the beat. And the number of murders has actually fallen since 2000.

“The Mayor has also just committed nearly £80 million to youth provision in the capital. Maybe Boris was still in hiding when this was announced? I can think of no other reason why he would be completely ignorant of the investment in policing and youth services we have seen under this Mayor.”


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Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime | 4 comments (4 topical)

Re: Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime (#1)

by treborc on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 08:59:18 AM GMT

True they are all buying a knife to stick it in Boris.


Re: Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime (#2)

by swatantra on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 11:30:34 AM GMT

Johnson was an absolute disgrace on the London Debate yesterday. He kept interupting Ken and his Johnson's Tory supporters were primed to applaud every puerile utterance Johnson came out with. And Konie Huq didn't stop Johnsons appalling behaviour. Johnson did not answer one single question that was put to him, not just because he was incoherent as ever but simply because he didn't know the answers. Ken made the mistake of calling Johnson 'Boris'. From now on we should not make him out to be an endearing teddybear 'Boris', but a mindless ninny. Johnson is a prat of the first order.


[ Parent ]

Re: Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime (#3)

by spartacus on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 09:54:55 PM GMT

The only way to stop knife crime is to make it a mandatory 10 years prison sentence for anyone carrying a knife in public, police should then carry out random stop & search especially of young hoodie types especially in knife crime hot spots. It is time to get tough on these yobs. 


Re: Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime (#4)

by nmc on Mon May 12, 2008 at 11:53:11 PM GMT

if you think randomly searching hoodies in 'hot spots' is going to bring an end to knife crime then i fear you have a very blinkered view of  the society we are living in.  Knife crime is rooted in the fact that there are so many kids growing up in tiny council flats with single parents who live off benefit because more often than not it works out better than working long hours in a job with low minimum wage, and there is nowhere for the kids to go, not much for them to do with the shutting down of youth clubs all over london.....a lack of authority in the home and many times a lack of a father figure, so they hang out with groups of older kids, who make their money selling drugs because its better than working minimum wage.....the media reinforces the idea that black kids belong to gangs..........this is a deeply rooted social problem and there is no quick fix for it. The kids are not scared of authority because they feel they have nothing to live for, so what does it matter if they take a life, or end up in prison for it?  They will still get fed, they wont have to go to school, and hell, they are screwed anyway so it doesnt make a difference.  Do you think spot searching people will change this?

All I know is that I got 'randomly searched' in an airport recently.  I'm not convinced that will bring an end to terrorism.  I don't have any bombs. Spot searches and other tactics are just efforts that make the general public believe that something is being done, when in reality this will not stop kids from killing each other.

Improve the standard of living, raise the national minimum wage, bring RIGOROUS reforms to the benefit system ensuring that only the people who truly need it can access it..........bring in heavier penalties and longer sentences................and work on tackling the high level of teenagers getting pregnant and raising children on benefit without a father.......maybe then we might see a change.  These people don't need to be demonised or catagorised as 'hoodies'...less money should go on paying for ministers expenses, and more get pumped into developing these communities as there is so much potential there.  Get these kids out of the ghetto when they are YOUNG and form them, with support and opportunities.


Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime | 4 comments (4 topical)