View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
  2. Morning Call
24 March 2023

Keir Starmer wants to be tough on crime, but are his targets impossible?

The Labour leader wants to restore confidence in the police to its “highest ever level” and halve incidents of violence against women and girls.

By Zoë Grünewald

Keir Starmer arrived in Stoke-on-Trent (not to be confused with Woke-on-Trent, wherever that is) on 23 March to set out Labour’s law and order offer. He outlined ambitious targets – restoring confidence in the police to its “highest ever level”, halving incidents of knife crime and violence against women and girls, and reversing the collapse in the proportion of solved crime. He made a number of pledges: 13,000 extra police, bringing in new Respect orders (“anti-social behaviour orders with teeth”) and, presumably to the dismay of the Prime Minister, promised to “get clever” with fixed-penalty notices.

Crime is becoming a hot-button issue. The Casey report, published earlier this week, laid bare a culture of misogyny, homophobia and racism in the Met. The court backlog in England and Wales stood at 61,737 at the end of last year, while the average court case takes just under two years. Just one in 100 reported rapes results in conviction. Meanwhile, a 21 per cent rise in violent crime was reported in the year ending September 2022, with 2.1 million offences.

It is unsurprising that Starmer chose to make his speech in Stoke-on-Trent. Rising crime rates and court backlogs have heavily impacted Red Wall areas. Cleveland Police currently has the highest number of crimes reported per 100,000 people in England and Wales, while multiple magistrates courts have closed in places like Hartlepool. In the most recent polling of Red Wall voting intention, only 24 per cent of voters said they trusted the Conservatives more than Labour to tackle crime. Crime is, as the shadow policing minister Sarah Jones told me in February, a levelling-up issue.

Starmer spoke directly to working-class communities, criticising the Tories’ “complacency” in tackling these issues with a direct comparison: “Their kids don’t go to the same schools. Nobody fly-tips on their streets. The threat of violence doesn’t stalk their communities.”

Crime is an issue historically seen as better managed by the Conservatives. But the focus on partygate and law-breaking in Downing Street has placed doubt in the electorate’s mind. It could be a strong platform for Starmer as he can repeatedly underline his previous role as director of public prosecutions. Where Sunak has so often used Starmer’s professional background to undermine his Red Wall appeal, Starmer reclaimed it. “If the Tories want to attack me for being a human rights lawyer, attack the values I’ve stood up for my whole life, I say fine. That only shows how far they’ve fallen, and how little they understand working people,” he told the crowd. 

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

The potential flaw of Starmer’s plan to tackle crime is not whether he is sincere about it but whether his targets are achievable. The same is true for his commitment to securing the highest economic growth in the G7. Given that the causes of crime have many variables – such as levels of unemployment or how quickly police reforms can make a difference – the Labour leader must be careful not to leave himself a hostage to fortune.

Content from our partners
Development finance reform: the key to climate action
Individually rare, collectively common – how do we transform the lives of people with rare diseases?
Future proofing the NHS

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU