The Shadow Home Secretary will tomorrow (Monday) publish Labour’s plan for tackling violence and supporting victims, ahead of the May elections, saying that “under the Conservatives, violent criminals have never had is so good.”

Nick Thomas-Symonds will set out proposals to “address the Tory rise in violent crime, put more police on our streets and put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system.”

He will accuse the Conservatives of being “soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime”, having cut the number of police on our streets, devastated preventative services, let violent crime rise and left victims waiting years for justice.

The plan for tackling violence and supporting victims outlined by the Shadow Home Secretary includes:

• More police focusing on safer streets and tackling violence;
• Ensure police are on the beat rather than behind desks;
• Fight the causes of crime by ensuring provision of preventative services;
• Tougher sentences for rape and domestic violence;
• A new law to ensure victims are at the heart of the criminal justice system.

Labour have also produced a range of evidence showing the scale of the Conservative’s failings on law and order in every part of England and Wales, following over a decade of cuts to policing, preventative services and support for victims.  New analysis produced by Labour shows that:

• In the last year, there were on average 4,900 violent crimes a day (or 200 an hour);
• Violent crime has risen in every police forces in the country since 2010, in 4 out of 5 forces violence has doubled or more.
• A third of all violent crime in 2019-20 was domestic abuse-related.

Labour has also exposed a dramatic fall in the rate of police charges, showing that more criminals are escaping punishment, victims are missing out justice and communities less safe.  The new analysis shows:

• The total number of violent crimes recorded has more than doubled, but the number of suspects charged has fallen by a quarter and the number of cases where no suspect is identified at all has nearly trebled.
• While charging rates for violent offences have plummeted from 22% in 2014-15 to just 6.8% in 2019-20.

Commenting, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, said: 

“On streets across the country, we are witnessing the devastating impact of a decade of the Tories being soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime. Under the Conservatives, violent criminals have never had is so good.

“This election is a choice between the Labour Party who is serious about tackling the Tory rise in violent crime or the Conservatives who have slashed police numbers and let violent crime rise in every part of the country.  Communities are now having to deal with 200 violent crimes an hour, while the number of violent offences being charged have plummeted to less than 7 per cent.

“Labour Councils, PCCs and Mayors have made huge impacts by standing up for their communities in the face of Tory cuts. However, since their inception they have had one hand tied behind their back, when battling this Conservative UK Government whose cuts have resulted in huge crime rises on their watch.

“In these elections, Labour has a plan to tackle the Tory rise in violent crime, put more police on our streets and put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system.”