Afternoon:
15°c
Actress Brooke Kinsella backs David Cameron's knife crusade
Joe Murphy, Political Editor27 Apr 2010
London's knife crime scourge took centre stage in the general election today as actress Brooke Kinsella endorsed David Cameron's plan for a Big Society.
The former EastEnders star, whose younger brother was killed in an Islington street attack in 2008, attacked Gordon Brown's government saying: “Sadly, although I think they care, I do not think they have done enough.”
Hailing the Conservative policies on knife crime as “the toughest” she went on: “I just want change, like many people out there.
“I'm not that knowledgeable about politics and I don't pretend to be. I do think that David Cameron and the Conservatives will do this. Their policies on knife crime seem to be the toughest.”
Kinsella, 26, who played Kelly Taylor in the BBC soap, said her brother's death “completely destroyed” her family. The 16-year-old was stabbed to death by gang members when he was out celebrating the end of his GCSEs.
She said current anti-knife laws were not being enforced enough and children needed to be shown that wrongdoers would not “get away with it”.
The epidemic of stabbings in London in recent years has created a list of tragic victims, including Damilola Taylor, 10, and 31-year-old lawyer Tom ap Rhys Pryce.
There is evidence that youth crime is rising again with nine teenage killings this year. Knife crime has risen in the capital — there were 266 more such offences in the last financial year, taking the annual total to 12,611. Mr Cameron announced that Kinsella will be appointed as an “ambassador” to anti-knife projects if he wins power. “I do not think I have heard a more passionate, a more heartfelt, a more courageous, more meaningful speech than what we have just heard from Brooke,” he told the audience in Kennington, south London.
Mr Cameron's Big Society plan has been criticised recently , including by some Tory candidates, for being vague. But he said the actress's work as a campaigner against knives had shown that people-power was vital to solve deep-seated problems.
His speech also stressed the importance of tackling addiction, family debt and poverty as part of his plan.
The speech targeted both traditional Labour voters angry about crime and Liberal Democrat supporters who are concerned about social problems.
He referred to the recent death of 15-year-old Sofyen Belamouadden, stabbed at Victoria Station in front of horrified commuters, as evidence of a “broken society” and other violent and anti-social crimes.
“There's a danger that we as a society can slowly become almost immune to unbelievable events like this.
“Each time the shock is a little bit slighter, a little bit quicker to pass. And as our sensitivity gets coarsened, we get a step further away from what it is to be civilised.”
The Tory leader admitted that “evil” had always been present in society and that he would be criticised for saying society was broken.
“But I am certain that government is a big part of the problem,” he said. The state had got bigger while parts of society felt “divorced from politics and what government does”.
Reader views (9)
Bless her heart! when someone starts a sentence with i don really know much about poly-tricks then you know she's being used. You can talk as tuff as you like but it will make no difference to the corrupt young minds that now represent the new underclass. The breeding ground for gun and knife crime is poverty. lets not forget that those who carry out these barbaric acts are the children of parents that suffered under the policy's of the conservative government of the 80's. Cameron's big society is the re-branding of thatchers uncaring society. Leave each community to deal with the own problems. The poor will be left with gun and knife crime and no resources and the rich will look after their growing wealth.
- mark denet, brixton, 28/04/2010 15:43
Report abuse
If Brooke thinks the tories will do anything except increase the gap between rich and poor - making certain parts of London even more susceptible to crime - then she's living in cloud cuckoo land and should keep her dumb opinions to herself.
- Bob, Oval, 27/04/2010 20:45
Report abuse
Brooke Kinsella? Who on earth is she? Some two-bit actress who had a brief role in a soap gets column inches about knife crime? Sorry about her brother but really!
- Roger Whittall, Coventry UK, 27/04/2010 16:36
Report abuse
@Mike, London, 27/04/2010 15:38
So presumably, rather than use people that actually know their subject matter, we should trust people like Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper and Lord Mandelson? (Actually, strike the last... Mandelson is perfectly placed to speak on business, he's done more than enough shady business in the past). On the subject of Brooke Kinsella, I think you'd be feeling slightly different if it happened to one of your loved ones, and found that this was happening all over the country... No one is saying that violent crime did not exist before 1997, but it certainly has escalated since then. Due to mismanagement of the welfare system, the gap between poor and rich has widened, people feel they can scrounge from the government and council estates have become no-go areas. Cameron is right to want the old moral values of wanting to provide an income for one's family. He is right to want us to have pride in this country, rather than the PC bull that we cannot be English without being racist or belittling other cultures. To battle schools around the country banning St Georges Day as it offends other races (and presumably Dragons)......
- Kris, London, 27/04/2010 16:03
Report abuse
This is why the Tories are nowhere in the polls. Following on from their announcement that under a Cameron govt. Kirsty Allsop would have a role dictating housing policy, Carol Voderman the same for schools, now it's 26 year-old, former actresss, Brooke Kinsella heading this panel.
I am genuinely sorry for what happened to her family -but this is just silly.
- Mike, London, 27/04/2010 15:38
Report abuse
@Anthony, Hackney,London, 27/04/2010 15:18
With all due respect (as you come from a notoriously knife-crime affected area), why can you not see that this issue has spiralled out of control in the last 13 years? I cannot see any other party than the Tories speaking out against how bad Society is nowdays, how the gangs of youths (most of whom were in nappies the last time the Tories were in power) are running amok, with no restraints. Whatever you think about the Tories other policies, you should be able to see that this is a good thing.
- Kris, London, 27/04/2010 15:35
Report abuse
Dont be fooled by Cameron.The Tories did nothing to curb the rise of knife crime during their tenure.They felt it was a problem for the inner cities.At least Labour took on the issue.Knife crime is now something that is in every community(even those leafy suburbs)and needs the same attention.Don't try to make it an issue for a specific section of scoiety.Parents,teachers and the Police need to make sure our kids are safe from the ravaging hoodlums and no more turning the blind eye!If you get caught with a knife you must be locked up.(no more excuses)
- Anthony, Hackney,London, 27/04/2010 15:18
Report abuse
The real problems that certain elements in our society believe that carrying a knife is THEIR RIGHT and their parents have no or little control over them, we need Borstals to lock up these people when they first start offending and their parents shouldn't take the line that my child "never" does anything wrong even when there is proof of them offending some parents even lie to prevent the police proving the offence.As for Dave he says whatever he thinks his audiance want him to say.
- M .Melbourne, Bedford, 27/04/2010 13:14
Report abuse
Well said Brooke theres alot of innocent people who have suffered thanks to this govt and their misguided policies. Time for change.
- Russell, London UK, 27/04/2010 12:26
Report abuse
