Labour slammed after failure to reduce UK knife crime epidemic despite upcoming Ninja sword ban: 'Targets won't be reached anytime soon!'

It comes after Research commissioned by IRR International and conducted by Savanta for GB News surveyed 2,111 UK adults between April 25 and April 28, and showed 76 per cent of respondents cited education levels as being a key driver of crime, including knife crime.

Polling also showed that, 75 per cent pointed to economic inequality, 74 per cent mentioned policing standards, 73 per cent listed housing conditions.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has previously vowed to halve knife offences in a decade, an ambition that Anthony Olusende, chief executive of Always an Alternative, says is a long way off.

In partnership with local councils, new amnesty bins will be strategically placed in these high-risk areas throughout this month to knife carriers an alternative way to hand in weapons without needing to go to a police station.

Olusende, criticised the Government, local authorities, and communities' approach to tackling knife crime in an exclusive interview with GB News.

He told the People's Channel: "It's a huge problem. It keeps increasing year upon year. It was bad before. It still is bad, unfortunately.

"It doesn't look like the government's targets of slashing crime in half will be reached anytime soon."

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Olusende said: "Young people are being failed, that means the Government could do more, authorities could do more, adults could do more, communities, schools, we could all do that little bit more."

The activist, who has worked in this field for eight years, expressed frustration at the piecemeal approach to weapon bans, claiming that "one ban on a type of knife per year is not sufficient."

He questioned why authorities cannot "make them all illegal in one swoop."

The South Yorkshire-based campaigner argued that stronger communities are essential for addressing the problem.

The activist argued: "Once communities are built back up, I think, not just knife crime, but quite a lot of the issues that we're seeing, along with anti social behavior, I think that they will fizzle out and die."

Olusende expressed particular concern for young people caught up in knife crime, highlighting systemic failures in their support systems and the lack of essential life skills beyond academic education taught in schools around the UK.

He said: "I feel sorry for young people because, you know, I work with them regularly. I just think that they don't get the education that they need, they don't get the support that they need."

Speaking on the surrender scheme, Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: "This scheme is just one part of addressing knife crime. We will not stop listening to those who are directly working with those impacted by this crime."

GB News polling also showed 71 per cent said immigration levels play a role, with 86 per cent of Conservative voters and 81 per cent of Reform supporters saying immigration was a key influence on crime, and over half in both groups believing it had a strong impact.

Former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley told GB News that he believes the link between immigration and knifecrime is linked.

Speaking to the People's Channel, he said: "I’m 65 and in my lifetime millions of people have come to the UK from foreign shores, some of which have been blighted by civil war, tribal conflict, racial and religious hatred and more.

"The levels of recorded knife crime in the UK have never been higher.

"This bit you can debate if you wish, but the two are linked."