Keir Starmer: My mission to make us all feel safe

"Safety in our homes and communities is the bedrock of our society.

I know from my time as England and Wales’s chief prosecutor, what it takes to get criminals off the streets and get victims the justice they deserve. I know how important it is for people to feel safe in their communities.

And I know that my view is shared by Simon Foster, the new West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

Simon was elected on a pledge to be a “people and communities PCC”. And he will do that by putting 450 extra police officers into communities across the West Midlands.

That isn’t because he thinks we can arrest our way to safety, but because visible, proactive policing by consent is the starting point for safer communities.

That’s why it was such a betrayal that the Conservative Party cut police numbers to their lowest level for a generation, while the youth services which play a vital role in directing young people towards productive lives and away from crime have been cut to the bone.

So it should come as no surprise that this vacuum has been filled by criminal gangs who prey on our children and exploit vulnerable young people through activities such as county lines drug dealing.

I want to live in a country where women and girls are safe to walk the streets alone. A country where parents don’t have to wait anxiously until their kids come home. A country where our elderly feel happy and secure in their own neighbourhood.

That’s why Labour launched a campaign for safer communities this week. A Labour Government would tackle the root causes of crime in our communities and ensure criminals are brought to justice. We would act to stamp out the epidemic of violence against women and girls. And we would radically transform support for victims of crime.

Here in the West Midlands, Simon Foster is already taking action, appointing a dedicated Victims’ Commissioner for the West Midlands, and pledging to tackle violence against women and girls.

As Prime Minister I would back Simon in that endeavour by bringing in tougher sentences for rape, stalking and domestic murder.

Labour would also back our police to tackle the rising levels of anti-social behaviour, taking quick action and ramping up enforcement in hot spot areas. To fund this, we would scrap Boris Johnson’s latest vanity project: a pointless ‘national yacht’ costing the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds.

Like many areas around Britain I know that the Black Country has been plagued by dangerous driving and the use of high-powered cars. So I would introduce legislation that would help communities here fight back.

I’m proud of our country. I want it to be the best place in the world to grow up in and to grow old in. But right now, too many people don’t feel safe in their community. That has to change.

Labour will always prioritise keeping you, your family and your community safe."