A machete gang murdered my father. Trust me, Labour's solution to knife crime is a non-starter - Adam Brooks

My father was murdered 30 years ago by a machete gang outside our pub. I’ve spent much of my adult years around this world, studying it, dealing with it, trying to push back on it.

I’ve owned pubs, clubs, restaurants and bars. I’ve spoken to everyone, from black street gangs, old-school East End gangsters, and kids who carry knives “just in case”.

I’ve been stabbed twice myself.

And now I’ve got a 16-year-old son, and I’ll be honest, I’m not just worried - I’m absolutely petrified every time he walks out the door.

Because here’s the truth that people in Westminster don’t seem to understand at all.

It’s not just gangsters carrying knives anymore.

It’s normal kids… ordinary lads.

They’re carrying out of fear. Fear that everyone else has one. Fear that if something kicks off, they’re the only ones without protection. Because there’s simply no belief or trust in the police anymore.

That’s the reality on the ground.

And what’s the Government’s answer?

Well, according to the Labour leadership and David Lammy, the solution is mandatory counselling, education programmes, and “support pathways”.

Not prison, not punishment, and not deterrence.

But support.

Do you honestly think the lads carrying knives with intent are scared of a mentoring session?

Do you think the bloke walking around with a machete is worried about being told to attend a workshop?

They’ll be laughing.

Because right now, there is no fear of consequences as there simply isn’t any.

There’s no visible policing anymore. You don’t see officers on the streets like you used to. And when people do get caught, what happens?

Suspended sentences, or a slap on the wrist.

We’ve seen people caught multiple times with serious blades, like machetes, or Rambo knives, not penknives, and they’re still walking the streets.

Judges handing out soft sentences or suspended sentences like it’s a parking ticket.

And now Labour have gone even further.

They’ve effectively watered down sentencing even more, with the ability to suspend sentences up to 3 years, and hand out “alternatives” instead of custody.

So what message does that send?

In simple terms: carry a knife, and you’ll probably get away with it.

That’s not justice. I see that as encouragement.

If you want to stop knife crime, you need one thing above all else, deterrence.

Real, hard deterrence.

If you get caught carrying a knife, you go to prison. No excuses, no loopholes, and no soft judge giving you a second chance.

Straight inside.

That changes behaviour overnight.

You bring back proper stop and search, visible, consistent, and unapologetic. It works. It always has. People don’t normally carry weapons if they think they’re going to get caught.

And you go hard on education, not this fluffy nonsense, but real education.

Bring in ex-offenders. Bring in families who’ve lost sons, daughters, fathers. Show kids exactly where this road leads.

Prison.

Death.

Ruined lives.

Scare them straight if you have to.

And then back it up with a national media blitz. The same level of intensity we saw during Covid. With TV, radio adverts, and social media, everywhere.

“You carry a knife, you go to prison.”

Simple. Clear. Effective.

Instead, what we’ve got is a government trying to hug the problem away.

They say they’ll halve knife crime in ten years.

I’ll say it straight.

That’s complete fantasy.

Because until you bring back fear of consequences, real fear, knife crime isn’t going down.

It’s going to get a lot worse. Trust me.

And it’s ordinary families and ordinary kids that will pay the price.