Comment: Government finally acts on knife crime scourge after celeb intervention - sound familiar?
Ministers will deny the latest move in knife crime has anything to do with Idris Elba, but they may not be telling the whole truth.
Campaigners in the West Midlands have been calling for action for years.
The courageous family of murder victim Ronan Kanda collected 10,000 names for a petition that was taken to Downing Street last year. The family of James Brindley have been calling for action ever since he was killed back in 2017.
The Express & Star has backed their campaigns, having covered many, many tragic stories over that time.
Many are of young men killed by young men, often from a casual argument that led to murder when blades were brandished.
We have filled pages with the faces of those killed. We have lobbied MPs and won their support. We have been given reassuring words from ministers and have seen some strengthening of laws – yet still the killing has gone on as zombie knives, machetes and ninja swords remain available to buy.
Now, after A-list actor Idris Elba decided he had had enough, the Government has finally jumped.
Ring any bells? The Horizon scandal was widely reported on for many years, yet the Post Office victims were left to wait for justice and compensation. Enter ITV with a three-part drama and suddenly ministers were falling over each other to act.
Credit must go to Elba. He has effectively and intelligently spoken of the problem – and he made a point of saying it was centred on the West Midlands. He met with the family of Ronan Kanda, among other grieving families, and he made a fuss with a high profile photocall at Westminster.
The Government will claim new laws were in the pipeline, but the appearance is that ministers have been embarrassed into action. They have also made themselves look reactive – and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer stole a march on them by making it clear he would act with far wider measures if he becomes Prime Minister.
It is key now that legislation promised by Policing Minister Chris Philp is real and effective. But don’t hold your breath.
Mr Philp has already warned that knife crime will not be tackled “overnight”. In fact, new legislation will not come into effect until autumn. That is a full year after action was initially promised by Rishi Sunak.
Labour has called the ban “too little, too late” and it may be right. After all, how many killer blades will be bought between now and the autumn?
And how many of them will end up being used in anger, with inevitable tragic consequences?
