MP praises family for campaigning work to stop knives being sold
A Black Country MP has joined a family campaigning for stronger action on knife crime after the death of their son.
The family of Ronan Kanda joined Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden at Parliament on Wednesday to meet with the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire Chris Philp MP and his opposite number Shadow Minister for Crime Sarah Jones MP.
The meeting was part of the work by the family to highlight not only Ronan’s case but also other young lives lost to knife crime and they are pressing for tougher action to fight knife crime and specifically action to stop the sale of machete, swords and other similar bladed weapons online.
Ronan Kanda was aged just 16 when he was killed just yards from his home on Mount Road in Wolverhampton in June of last year, with two 17-year-olds were found guilty of Ronan's murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court last month and set to be sentenced on July 13.
Ronan's parents, Chander and Pooja, have urged politicians to take urgent action to ensure that not another innocent life gets taken from knife crime.
Mr McFadden, who has been working with the family and arranged their meetings in Parliament, spoke about the meeting and what he felt could be achieved going forwards.
He said: "I am grateful to Home office Minister Chris Philp and his opposite number Shadow Minister Sarah Jones for meeting the Kanda family during their visit to parliament today.
"The family live with the pain of losing Ronan every moment of every day.
"They came to Parliament to press the case for stricter controls on online sales of large bladed weapons like machetes, swords and other similar weapons. This was the kind of weapon that was used to kill Ronan.
"The Minister agreed these weapons were too easy to buy online and said the Government had recently completed a consultation exercise on this issue, while Shadow Minister Sarah Jones also supported changing the law.
"I am grateful to the family for the campaigning they are doing as they are trying to stop more families from living through the nightmare they are going through.
"Far too many young lives are being lost to knife crime and politicians across the political parties should make the changes in the law necessary to make getting hold of these weapons more difficult."
