Labour leader raises Wolverhampton schoolboy's murder on This Morning after meeting campaigning mother
Sir Keir Starmer spoke passionately about murdered Wolverhampton schoolboy Ronan Kanda on ITV show This Morning.
The Labour leader was on the ITV show to discuss his plans for reducing knife crime if he becomes Prime Minister after this year's General Election.
The politician told Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond he had met Ronan's mother Pooja and discussed the case.
He said: "I was talking to Pooja last night, who is the mother of a schoolboy who was killed by a sword,
"The sword was wielded by two teenage boys, they ordered it online, using his mum's identity, then the 15-year-old went to the Post Office and picked up, and used it in the fateful attack hours later. That cannot be allowed to happen."
Sir Starmer revealed speaking to the parents of young people who have been killed is the hardest part of his job.
He said: "I am a parent of teenagers myself, of all the things I have ever done speaking to a parent who has lost their knife crime is the most difficult thing I have ever done."
"These zombie knives are still available online, 17 times the Government have said they will be banned, they are still available, well, get on with it. And I would ban these Samurai swords."
Ronan Kanda was murdered just metres from his home in Lanesfield by two schoolboys in June 2022, his mother Pooja has campaigned about knife crime ever since.
She said: "We were fortunate to meet with leader of the Labour Party who expressed support for our campaign to ban the sale of threatening bladed articles, including ninja swords, the weapon that was sold to a minor and used to take my son's life.
"The Government has now passed legislation that will ban dangerous zombie style knives and machetes. Although this is a step in the right direction, it is not enough. The government have failed to use this opportunity to ban additional weapons like the 20 inch ninja sword used to take my son's life, and there has been no action to tackle the weak identification checks that are currently in place."
She added: "I am grateful to Keir for understanding and supporting our calls for ninja swords to be banned, in addition to tougher ID checks. And a big thank you to my MP Pat McFadden for continuing to support us."
