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http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/...un_amnesty_is_a_gimmick_says_tory_leader.html
from This is Local London
from This is Local London
Gun amnesty is a gimmick, says Tory leader
TORY leader Iain Duncan Smith has dismissed the Government's amnesty on illegal firearms as another "gimmick".
Following the recent gun summit where Home Secretary David Blunkett was joined by police, customs and immigration officers, and community leaders for the talks ministers announced a firearms amnesty.
But Mr Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, said: "It is typical of the Labour Party to put together a summit. Every time there is a problem there is a summit. We have had four years of rising gun crime. It has doubled since they [Labour] came into power."
In a scathing attack on Labour, Mr Duncan Smith labelled the party's efforts to reduce crime a "complete failure," saying that Tory policies would be tough on crime, and tough on drugs.
The MP claimed drugs were the root problem of gun crime. He said: "We have to block the gun culture and the drug culture this is fuelling the level of violent crime."
He added that police should be given more freedom to be out on the streets and should not be "bogged down with paperwork".
Mr Duncan Smith said he would like to see former New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani's zero tolerance policies on crime adopted by the UK. He said: "He [Guiliani] said anyone committing a crime would be locked up.
"In George Lane, Woodford, it can take the police 20 minutes to get to the scene of a crime. In New York there are more officers on the streets and it takes police five minutes or more often two minutes to get to the scene of a crime."
The Tory leader said he also thought the Government was sending out conflicting messages to the British public by relaxing drugs laws while getting tougher on gun crime. "The Government is not clear over its policies," he said.
"In the UK, people are dealing drugs more than they have ever done, and once they get locked into it there are no rehabilitation programmes available to them
"Drugs are used by gangs to lure young people into them. We need to break the attitude that it is OK to be in a gang and that it is OK to commit a crime."
Commenting on the 17 per cent increase in crime in Redbridge, Mr Duncan Smith accused the Prime Minister of uttering windy words.
He said: "Tony Blair, when he came to power promised to be tough on crime, and tough on the causes of crime. This has proven to be yet another example of Blair's windy words and empty promises. The Government has failed on crime and we will all have to suffer as a result."
Wanstead and Leyton MP Harry Cohen is calling on the Government to ban gun imports.
The Labour MP recently met Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth to discuss measures to tackle the problem of gun crime.
"We've to break this notion that carrying a gun is a style statement. Some youngsters claim to do it for 'respect'. It is respect for human life that really warrants respect," he said.
08:29 Wednesday 22nd January 2003
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