Simon Lightwood MP: “The Conservatives have let down victims of crime”

Simon Lightwood MP writes: It’s hard to feel positive about the future, when people see the social fabric deteriorate around them; town centres and neighbourhoods overrun with anti-social behaviour, drugs, young people getting into trouble, graffiti and fly-tipping.

We have seen a 77 per cent surge in knife crime since 2015, and a devastating epidemic of youth violence which shows no signs of abating.

Communities like Wakefield increasingly feel let down without any help to push back the scourge of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Too often, crimes go unpunished. In 2023, only four in ten knife possession offences led to any formal sanction. This is simply not good enough.

This is law and order in Tory Britain. We have seen our dedicated neighbourhood police officers cut – 10,000 neighbourhood officers axed since 2015 – leaving our communities less safe.

Neighbourhood policing has been hollowed out and public confidence is at an all-time low, with more than half of people saying they never see a bobby on the beat.

More than ever, the public are seriously wondering whether any crime they report will get solved.

Ninety per cent of crimes now go unsolved, laying bare the Tories’ abysmal record on law and order.

The Tories have gone soft on crime with millions of victims paying the price.

Labour will take back our streets from crime and anti-social behaviour.

Since I was elected in 2022, I have already helped secure an extra 60 police officers for Wakefield with the help of our Deputy West Yorkshire Mayor, Alison Lowe, showing that Labour in power is serious about tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities.

I have also set up my campaign ‘see it, hear it, report it’ where residents can report incidents of anti-social behaviour.

I have regular meetings with local businesses about how anti-social behaviour is affecting them.

What is clear is that our communities can’t take another five years of Tory misrule leaving businesses worried about vandalism and families worried about their homes being burgled.

Labour will rebuild safety on Britain’s streets with 13,000 new neighbourhood officers and PCSOs back in our communities, and a named, contactable officer for every community.

A Labour Government will restore respect for the rule of law, with a mission to reverse the collapse in the proportion of crimes charged and rebuild trust and confidence in the police and criminal justice system.

A Labour government will punish anti-social behaviour by letting victims choose how offenders pay back their communities through Community Payback.

The Tories have given up on governing and it’s our communities are suffering. Only Labour has a plan to take back our streets, bring about the change the country desperately needs and get Britain its future back.