Don't Carry, Don't Kill petition to be handed to Parliament (From Harrow Times)

Don't Carry, Don't Kill petition to be handed to Parliament by Nick de Bois

11:15am Thursday 20th October 2011 in Don't Carry, Don't Kill By David Hardiman

A PETITION backing the Enfield Independent's Don't Carry, Don't Kill campaign will be presented to Parliament tomorrow – days before legislation is debated.

Hundreds of Enfield residents have signed up to back our campaign with Enfield North MP Nick de Bois to amend legislation currently going through Parliament so that under 18s that use a knife in a threatening or endangering fashion will face a mandatory six-month prison sentence.

Current Government proposals would limit the punishment to those over the age of 18, but we have joined forces with Mr de Bois to push for the laws to tackle the scourge of knife crime among young people in our borough.

He said: “This petition leaves the Government in no doubt that my constituents want a law that says if a 15, 16, or 17-year-old uses a knife to threaten or endanger someone they will go to jail.

“I warmly welcome the support and help of the Enfield Independent and the public with this campaign.”

Pressure is building on the Government to back our demands, days before the legislation is due to be debated on the floor of the House of Commons More than 40 backbench MPs are supporting the campaign, and Prime Minister David Cameron was pressured by two Labour MPs in the House of Commons yesterday to back the amendment.

This year alone in Enfield, two teenage boys and a young man have been stabbed to death on our streets, and we believe urgent action is needed to reverse the knife crime culture on our streets.

And Yvonne Lawson, the mother of promising teenage footballer Godwin, who was stabbed to death protecting his friend last year, has joined police chiefs in supporting our bid.

We say to Mr Cameron and Justice Secretary Ken Clarke – enough is enough. Something has to change.