'Work starts now' vows Idris Elba as PM launches new anti-knife crime coalition

Sir Keir Starmer has promised a crackdown on the online sale of deadly weapons as he hosted a summit with knife crime campaigners including Hollywood actor Idris Elba.

The prime minister launched a coalition which aims to stop young people from being dragged into violent gangs, promising to “double down” on commitments made before the general election.

Elba, a knife crime campaigner who joined Starmer at the summit on Monday, vowed that "work starts now" to tackle knife crime.

"It was a really positive step in the right direction," he told reporters outside.

The Luther star spoke about his ten-year-old son and how he hoped the work of the coalition could prevent younger generations being involved in knife crime.

“We aren’t going to end knife crime. We can’t, that’s not realistic," he said.

“But we can tackle the attributes towards it. At the centre of it is obviously young people – my son’s 10, and I’m hoping the work that we do annually, keep pushing, [can] help him by the time he’s 16.

“There are kids right now that are 16 to 24, they’re in that cycle right now that we might not be able to help, but with our joined-up thinking we can help future generations.”

The coalition will work with experts to develop an understanding of what causes young people to be dragged into knife crime.

Starmer said: “Far too many knives are too easily available, whether that’s online, whether that’s through the post."

There are examples of knives “bought online being posted through without any markings, and then people picking them up without any identification, and then those knives being used”.

It is “just too shocking – that needs to be dealt with”, he said.

Starmer also suggested ministers will look at the punishments for those caught with knives.

Pooja Kanda, whose son Ronan was murdered in 2022 with a zombie knife bought online, told the No 10 summit she was “horrified, absolutely horrified” by what was available to her son’s killer.“It was as easy as picking up a loaf of bread from a supermarket,” she said.Calling for action, she said: “I’m not a policy expert in reducing crime. I’m a grieving mother.“But I will do all I can to ensure that the failings that led to my son’s murder are corrected.”

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Ministers have already taken steps to ban so-called ninja swords, and plan to strengthen the laws around the online sales of knives.

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.

Monday's 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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