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Ken pushes for tougher action against guns, knives and gangs
Ken Livingstone has renewed his commitment to bear down on gun and knife crime in London with a call for tougher sentencing and bail conditions for those caught carrying these weapons.
Speaking in south London on Wednesday, the mayor said that while gun-enabled crime in the capital was falling, Londoners were still rightly concerned about serious violent crime involving young people and the problem of gangs.
Metropolitan Police figures show that the total number of gun-enabled crimes in London has fallen by more than 20 per cent in five years - from 4,444 offences in 2002 to 3441 in 2007.
Mr Livingstone proclaimed that in order to see these numbers drop even further, a range of different solutions was required.
'We have to start with good intelligence and effective targeted operations against known criminals and gang members. That is what the Met are doing and this programme of action will be intensified with whatever extra resources are needed," he said.
'On top of the action that will be taken by the Met against gangs, I want to see tougher sentences and bail conditions. 'I believe there should be tougher sentences still for the carrying and use of knives and that shopkeepers proven to have sold knives to those underage should know they will face the prospect of a prison sentence.
The Mayor said he backed a petition calling for tougher sentences that was submitted to the Prime Minister by the family of 16-year-old Kodjo Yenga, who was stabbed to death in Hammersmith last year.
He reiterated plans for his London Youth Offer, a £79m programme of investment over the next two years in new centres, facilities and activities for young people. He also pledged to maintain and increase the Youth Offer over the following two years.
Mr Livingstone also took the chance to lay into rival Boris Johnson, claiming that his voting in Parliament against Labour's mandatory five-year sentences for gun possession showed that the Tory candidate could not be trusted to deal with crime in London.
"His approach is waffle, not action," said Livingstone.
According to a poll, Johnson's lead in the London Mayoral race has more than halved over the past week.
The latest research by YouGov for the Evening Standard showed Johnson ahead of Livingstone by just six points, suggesting that the outcome of the May 1 election is still far from certain.
The poll put Mr Johnson on 45 per cent compared with 39 per cent for the current mayor.
1:23pm Wednesday 16th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Jane Brown, London on 7:43am Sat 19 Apr 08
[bold]The RISE Anti-Racist Festival is a free event organised by Ken Livingstone.[/bold]
Introducing his pet project in 2006, Red Ken said:
[quote]London is built on the diversity of its population and this anti-racist festival… sends a very clear message that racism is not welcome in this city…
There will be no let-up in celebrating London’s real character as a diverse and open city.
Each successive generation that has come to London has helped to shape the city we live in, bringing new ideas, skills and cultures that have made London one of the most dynamic and exciting places anywhere in the world.
Racist ideas have been used to justify some of the worst crimes in history - slavery, the holocaust, apartheid, segregation, murders and lynchings. From the great racist crimes in history to bullying in the school playground and vicious tabloid news coverage, racist ideas have to be opposed because they disfigure our society...
Policies to combat racism and celebrate our diversity are a permanent part of the work of London.[/quote]
[b]At the following year’s festival, the Mayor was in even better form.[/b]
On 15 July 2007, Livingstone said this:
[quote]London's fortunes are tied up with our stand against racism and prejudice... Fighting racism is a daily fight and a political priority for our city and the Rise: London United festival is a clear statement of that fact.[/quote]
[b]Regarding the teenage violence that had plagued London in 2007, Tim Donovan put these questions to the Mayor:[/b]
[quote]Are you worried about this recent spate of teenage violence is it something new and alarming?... Tony Blair said, not long ago, that this was a black, cultural thing, do you agree?[/quote]
[B]To which he replied:[/B]
[quote]There is an element of that, particularly around the drug trade but NO! IT’S A LOT OF WHITE KIDS STABBING OTHER WHITE KIDS![/quote]
Now that is as big a lie, if not bigger, than any Tony B Liar ever told.
[b]In the year to 15 July 2007, when Livingstone said what he said, 16 teenagers had been murdered in London.[/b]
Ten of the dead teenagers were black boys, three were black girls, one was mixed race and the other two dead children were white. At the time of Livingstone’s great lie, ALL OF THE KNOWN KILLERS AND THOSE SUSPECTED OF THE KILLINGS WERE BLACK.
Red Ken's casual dishonesty has been captured in the video on view here:
[url]http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=F5IoAJuFQ
4E[/url]
[b]For the remainder of this exposé, go here:[/b]
http://www.iamanengl
ishman.com/page.php?
iCategoryId=917&iPar
entId=889
The RISE Anti-Racist Festival is a free event organised by Ken Livingstone.
Introducing his pet project in 2006, Red Ken said:
London is built on the diversity of its population and this anti-racist festival… sends a very clear message that racism is not welcome in this city…
There will be no let-up in celebrating London’s real character as a diverse and open city.
Each successive generation that has come to London has helped to shape the city we live in, bringing new ideas, skills and cultures that have made London one of the most dynamic and exciting places anywhere in the world.
Racist ideas have been used to justify some of the worst crimes in history - slavery, the holocaust, apartheid, segregation, murders and lynchings. From the great racist crimes in history to bullying in the school playground and vicious tabloid news coverage, racist ideas have to be opposed because they disfigure our society...
Policies to combat racism and celebrate our diversity are a permanent part of the work of London.
At the following year’s festival, the Mayor was in even better form.
On 15 July 2007, Livingstone said this:
London's fortunes are tied up with our stand against racism and prejudice... Fighting racism is a daily fight and a political priority for our city and the Rise: London United festival is a clear statement of that fact.
Regarding the teenage violence that had plagued London in 2007, Tim Donovan put these questions to the Mayor:
Are you worried about this recent spate of teenage violence is it something new and alarming?... Tony Blair said, not long ago, that this was a black, cultural thing, do you agree?
To which he replied:
There is an element of that, particularly around the drug trade but NO! IT’S A LOT OF WHITE KIDS STABBING OTHER WHITE KIDS!
Now that is as big a lie, if not bigger, than any Tony B Liar ever told.
In the year to 15 July 2007, when Livingstone said what he said, 16 teenagers had been murdered in London.
Ten of the dead teenagers were black boys, three were black girls, one was mixed race and the other two dead children were white. At the time of Livingstone’s great lie, ALL OF THE KNOWN KILLERS AND THOSE SUSPECTED OF THE KILLINGS WERE BLACK.
Red Ken's casual dishonesty has been captured in the video on view here:
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=F5IoAJuFQ
4E
For the remainder of this exposé, go here:
http://www.iamanengl
ishman.com/page.php?
iCategoryId=917&iPar
entId=889
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