Forum Topic

Lethal blades online

The latest sword incident in Hainault that resulted in the death of a child must be an argument for online control of these lethal weapons. Out of curiosity, I quickly found that on Amazon I could acquire a potentially deadly  knife delivered to my home tomorrow for around a tenner, with no questions asked.

Alexander MacLeod ● 420d20 Comments

"If Khan is so red hot why is knife crime through the roof in his tenor (see article  front page of the forum)Well it's obviously the Government's fault ...

Sue Hammond ● 419d

Khan made the following unforgivable mistakes with the police force:  Extending the Met Commissioner, Cressida Dick for two years.  He then latter forced her out without having a plan to replace her.  Then haggled over her payoff which delayed getting a replacementThat is three too many IMO.Someone who labels ordinary Londoners as siding with the far right just because they oppose his ULEZ plans should not to be in office.London is less safe when it comes to violent crime and theft.Public transport crime figures are at shocking levels not to mention bicycle thefts.Pet projects have soaked up millions while the basic services are non existent.

Ed Robinson ● 419d

Yes, I do try more complex, multi dimensional arguments but some seen to struggle with that and in any case I'm limited in what I can say on the train  - although it's more than if I was driving. Simply, vote Hall, and vote against free school meals for children as I understand it! (Yes, another simplistic argument but that's what seems to be understood!

Michael Ixer ● 419d

It’s not only about residents of Putney, many of us have friends and family in other zones that are suffering as a result of ULEZ and poor public transport.Also, there are plenty of people here who drive down to Asda for their weekly shopping, with their young kids who now have to fork out to pay the ULEZ, on top of all the other escalating bills.As far as Piers Corbyn’s argument destroying any credibility of those who find ULEZ too harsh on those least able, I’m sorry, but it is ridiculous. How can one nutter undermine genuinely held disagreements with this policy?You can’t flatten out a debate to such a simplistic level.

Gerry Boyce ● 419d

ULEZ isn't perfect and does disadvantage those in outer areas with less good transport options rather than those of us more central in, say, Putney with good transport options. However, for me anti ULEZ campaigners destroyed any argument by linking them with Piers Corbyn's unsubstantiated climate denial and anti vax conspiracies.

Michael Ixer ● 419d

ULEZ affects those with least resources in our society; there is no fairness in the way it is applied. How can Chelsea tractors, high performance sports cars etc. be given free reign to drive throughout London, completely unregulated, and we are supposed to believe this is somehow good for the environment? It isn't. It is a measure that allows those with most resources free-reign to do as they please, and those with least resources to suffer. A typical Labour policy; petrified to impact on those that have, merciless on those that have not.This, coupled with a reduction in the number of bus-routes, and a meagre scrappage scheme, shows Labour's true colours.

Gerry Boyce ● 419d

You complain that the ULEZ  "has been implemented in the most extreme manner" - and yet you also draw our attention to the [not] environmentally friendly Chelsea tractors, and high performance gas guzzlers in our streets. Which is it? If the ULEZ really had been implemented in the most extreme manner then these dreadful gas guzzlers would have been targeted. They weren't (more's the pity) but the fact they weren't blows a huge hole through you argument.It's also significant that most of it all the anti-ULEZ groups were not only set up by Conservative personnel but are full of profane, racist, abusive, threatening and islamophobic comnent. And hapless Susan Hall has joined a number of them!https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2024/05/01/tory-susan-hall-anti-ulez-facebook-group-islamophobia-racism/

Richard Carter ● 419d

It was the Tories and Lib Dems who started slashing police resources from 2010:https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/05/police-still-suffering-damage-uk-government-cuts-funding-crisis?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_OtherOk, they realised their mistake but unfortunately recruiting and training takes time; probably one or two decades to replace the lost experience and knowledge. Knife crime isn't just a London problem. I prefer a police service, that doesn't mean they can't act in the interest of the local community; I don't want to go back to the thugs in the SPG who killed Blair Peach, and why does the Steven Lawrence saga keep getting sidelined; is someone being protected, if so why? What's needed are more foot patrols but the cuts instigated in 2010 just means there aren't enough police officers for that.

Michael Ixer ● 419d

It was the charismatic Mayor Boris Johnson who closed so many police stations and also announced the first ULEZ and then left his successor to implement it and collect any flak! Something did have to be done about pollution as our air quality was so poor with so many people dying from respiratory and other diseases brought on by poor air quality, poor diet and lack of exercise.  The Govt was taken to Court and lost THREE times because of the illegal pollution levels and the lack of progress in implementing measures to improve the situation.Poor health also means more people need healthcare and hospitals. Services and infrastructure of all kinds have had funding cuts.  The growth in online sales of anything and everything without checks and the loss of being able to rely on British Standard goods in the desire for cheap everything has meant that there aren't the safeguards that there used to be for all things bought in particular online.

Philippa Bond ● 419d

Khan has no backbone to tackle knife crime or anything else.  What we need or should have is the likes of the New York mayor and the NYPD.  We need a police force not a service.If Khan is so red hot why is knife crime through the roof in his tenor (see article front page of the forum).

Robert Wheeler ● 419d

@Gerry Boyce 13.10Well said! Khan never takes responsibility for anything, his default position is to always blame the Government for his failings. Assuming two nightmares come true and both he and Labour are elected into power🙀who/what will he blame then?

Sue Hammond ● 419d

One incident you are going on about Michael, what about every stabbing, what about every child or person being robbed. Where are the Police, on these blasted marches, when they should be walking the High Streets, to dangerous for Police women to even walk at night now, what about people. The only time anybody does anything is if an MP or such gets stabbed. What about children in children's homes being threatened to sell drugs or get beaten up. Or go and stab him and we won't stab you.  Some people don't see what's going on in the real world. They put people in Prison for not having a TV License, yet crackpots are walking our streets doing what they like, there are more out than in.

Barbara Stevens ● 419d

It's sad that this theme has degenerated into a Khan bashing, anti ULEZ session. I doubt that would be much comfort to the family of the dead teenager, or the injured police and bystanders. It seems to be and excellent example of policing - going in risking themselves and detaining the suspect alive so that the cause can be investigated and justice carried out in the courts.The availability of weapons such as these on the Internet is something Khan or any city mayor has no powers to deal with. Even governments will struggle with that.We don't yet know the details of this incident but it doesn't appear to be typical of the usual stabbings, if only because of the use of a very visible sword rather than a hidden knife.

Michael Ixer ● 419d

Have a look at the number of environmentally friendly Chelsea tractors, and high performance gas guzzlers in our streets, because they can afford to be. What about the number of people who need cars for essential trips to hospital, shopping, for emergencies etc, that are now denied the ‘luxury’ because they cannot afford it.The way ULEZ has been implemented in the most extreme manner with little consideration for ordinary people who cannot afford the additional cost, is a disgrace.  There were plenty of methods to implement a charge without resorting to the most draconian and extreme measures.Of course this divides society; you sound too padded and insulated from these concerns to even notice!

Gerry Boyce ● 419d

"London's air quality," obviously.

Richard Carter ● 419d

What utter nonsense, did Susan Hall write that stuff for you? Divided our communities? I'd concede this much: he's split them between the vast majority of law-abiding people and the tiny number of criminal vandals who have been destroying cameras and signs for the ULEZ, and he has significantly improved London's as it quality.And another thing, how has he been tribal or confrontational? As for charisma, we had enough of that from Johnson, thank you very much!

Richard Carter ● 419d

Exactly Barbara, why not blame Sadiq!  Anything that goes wrong, according to him, is someone else’s fault; he’s incapable of taking responsibility and blame where it’s due.As regardsULEZ; going in so hard and extreme, he has probably done more damage to the long term goal of cleaning up London’s air; he’s made it a ‘toxic’ issue and divided our communities between the have and have nots.He is a tribal , confrontational politician activist without the charisma, charm and skills to bring us together, like any competent mayor should; see Andy Burnham in Manchester or Andy Street in Birmingham; both more than capable of working will all engaged parties to reach a consensus that works for their cities.Khan is out of his depth and, hopefully, out of time in office!London deserves much better!

Gerry Boyce ● 419d

Why not blame Sadiq, everybody wants too. Why stick up for him. Glad you didn't need a new vehicle, or can afford ULEZ. How Lucky you are.  Think of all the people who needed new vehicle for work. If everybody liked him, they wouldn't be cutting all the cameras. He looks like a constipated chicken. Clucking and nothing comes out.

Barbara Stevens ● 420d

So it’s actually way too easy just to blame Sadiq Khan. This is a national problem that needs a national solution.

Jonathan Callaway ● 420d

It's all really got out of hand, the same as children being made to sell drugs or threatened. Where are the big burley cops we used to have, need Police Stations you can run into and report something and phone lines you can get through on in an emergency. Instead of long drawn out messages that seem the norm these days.

Barbara Stevens ● 420d