‘Knife crime is not inevitable’

Unite delegate and local councillor Lesley Mansell, joined in the debate on knife crime referring to her experience in her work with young people.

She said she believed that knife crime was not an isolated issue – it was the “direct result of inequality, exclusion and the collapse of youth services caused by 14 years of austerity.”

She argued that we couldn’t “cannot arrest our way out of this” and that “prevention must be at the heart of Labour’s approach.”

Just over two years ago, she reported, in their quiet rural area, a 16‑year‑old just was sadly killed, shocking the whole community.

She shared what action was happening locally as she believe it was something  Labour could champion nationally.

“As a councillor, I’ve used my local funding allocation to support a performance theatre project focused on conflict resolution. It has the backing of PCC Claire Moody, and it is already showing what happens when we invest in young people instead of writing them off.”

Lesley continued, “Through theatre, young people can explore anger, fear, peer pressure and identity. They learn how to de‑escalate, how to listen, how to rebuild trust. And crucially, it opens doors to alternative employment routes, in media, production, performance, digital storytelling and the wider creative industries. These are real pathways away from violence and towards opportunity.”

Lesley linked this to her extensive union experience as a Unite rep. She explained, “In the trade‑union movement, we resolve conflict every day. We negotiate under pressure, we mediate disputes, and we bring people back from the brink when relationships break down.

“We know conflict doesn’t disappear by ignoring it. What we need is structure, the principles we use in collective bargaining – listening, respect, accountability –  and give young people the tools to manage conflict safely and constructively.”

She appealed to the conference that Labour must lead with a prevention‑first strategy on knife crime and detailed a raft of measures including the restoration of youth services, delivering a national youth service, embedding conflict resolution skills in schools etc and partnering with trade unions and harnessing their decades of expertise in mediation.

Finally, she insisted that this strategy must include an investment “in hope and opportunity, including routes into the creative and media industries.”

Lesley concluded, “Knife crime is not inevitable. When we give young people skills, confidence and a future, they choose community, not violence. They choose hope.  Let’s make that Labour’s offer.”

By Amanda Campbell

Photo by Mark Thomas