Home Secretary Amber Rudd has claimed that social media could be to blame for the recent rise in murders in London and other areas, dismissing claims that police cuts have had any effect.
Rudd said Internet companies needed to improve their response to youth violence. The statement came after a spate of murders in the Capital and just hours before two more people were violently killed last night. Fatal stabbings in England and Wales are now at their highest level since 2010/2011. It is thought that there is 20,000 less police officers on the streets than in 2010.
Amber Rudd has been facing widespread criticism, especially on Twitter where she has started trending.
“Falling police numbers are not to blame for rising violence but a new approach is needed” says Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, whose boss’s ‘new approach’ was to slash police budgets & oversee a fall of 20,000 in police numbers leading to a rise in violence#Marr
— Paul Hodgkins (@paulhodgkins3) April 8, 2018
We don’t know why deadly crime is rising in London says government that cut 20,000 police but it might be social media! It’s just incredible most of the cabinet still have jobs!
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) April 6, 2018
Amber Rudd blames social media for the rise in London murders while conveniently forgetting that the Tory government have cut 20,000 police since 2010.
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) April 8, 2018
Angela Rayner, speaking on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday, also criticised Rudd’s response to the murders.
“When the Home Secretary sticks her head in the sand and suggests that losing 21,000 police officers off our streets does’t have an effect, then I think that’s a very naive position” @AngelaRayner tells #marr pic.twitter.com/w3fefy6qyu
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 8, 2018
Rayner, the Shadow Education Secretary called for targetted stop and search by local police to tackle knife crime. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, like Rudd, denied that police cuts had any effect on the murder rate increasing. However, Javid did say “We’re going to consult on extending the powers of stop and search” The Communities Secretary admitted ‘There is a real problem here’ and said the Home Secretary will announce a new strategy to tackle to problem tomorrow.
“There is a real problem here” @sajidjavid on increase of violence in Britain
He tells #marr that the Home Secretary tomorrow will announce a strategy that will focus on root causes and early intervention
“There is also a role to play for law enforcement” he tells the programme pic.twitter.com/TvZuALyUK5
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 8, 2018
Do you believe police cuts are responsible for the rise in murder rates? Comment your thoughts.
