Idris Elba and Starmer form new coalition against knife crime

Hollywood actor Idris Elba will join the Prime Minister in Downing Street to launch a new initiative to combat knife crime.

Elba, an anti-knife crime campaigner, will join Sir Keir Starmer on Monday morning to launch the coalition aimed at preventing young people from being drawn into violent gangs.

The coalition will bring together interest groups, families of people who have lost their lives to knife crime and young people affected by it, as well as Elba and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

What is expected to be the first annual summit on knife crime will also involve technology companies, sporting organisations, the health sector and the police.

The coalition will work with experts to develop an understanding of the reasons why young people become involved in knife crime.

“We need to tackle the causes of knife crime, not just the symptoms,” said Elba.

He added: “The coalition is a positive step towards rehabilitating our communities from within.”

The Prime Minister is expected to explain how close he is to this task because of his legal career.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Sir Keir said: “As Director of Public Prosecutions, I have seen first-hand the devastating impact of knife crime on young people and their families. This is a national crisis that we will tackle head-on.”

“We will use this moment to come together as a country – politicians, families of victims, young people themselves, community leaders and technology companies – to halve knife crime and take back our streets.”

Ministers have already taken steps to ban so-called ninja swords and plan to tighten laws on the online sale of knives.

Commander Stephen Clayman, the national police chief for knife crime, has been appointed to lead a rapid investigation into how these weapons are being sold online and supplied to under-18s, and to close loopholes in the law.

He will report to the Minister of the Interior by the end of the year.

Ms Cooper said: “It is vital to get guns off our streets and ensure that violence has tough and clear consequences.”

“And we also need to prevent young people from going down that path – that means offering young people more hope and more opportunities.”

Today's announcement is the first step in the Government's ten-year plan to tackle knife crime and will play a central role in its mission to keep our streets safe.