I approve wholeheartedly of the announcement by the Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, that murderers who use knives in the commission of their crimes can expect to serve a minimum sentence of 25 years.
However, this goes only part of the way to amount to a sufficient deterrent to the spreading epidemic of knife crime.
Speaking to a group of 16 year-olds a few weeks ago, I was shocked to be told that all of them knew of individuals who routinely went out equipped with a knife.
There can be no excuse whatever for this, but the law at present is not sufficiently tough to act as a proper deterrent. Currently, more than a third of young people found in possession of a knife are let off with a caution or final warning.
If ever the wrong message was being sent out, this is surely it. Everyone, without exception, found carrying a knife should expect to be prosecuted and, if convicted, to receive an automatic prison sentence.
The law is sufficiently robust. What is lacking is it’s application at street level, and thereafter in the courts. Like education, the police and teachers are politically manipulated to such an extent that they are unable to do their job as they know they can, and should; result, second rate justice, and below par education of our young.
I somehow believe that the nice Mr. Cameron won’t alter things much. We need somone much more revolutionary to break the hold of the intellectual idiots now controlling(sic) our fragmenting society. We don’t need knee jerk Jack to tweak the law re knives. Will he do the same for fireworks after the tragedy in Cornwall? Let’s use efficiently what we already have.