Idris Elba, the British actor, has launched a campaign calling on the government to end knife crimes in the United Kingdom.
Elba’s ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’ campaign will launch on Monday in collaboration with local communities and brands to end violence.
The actor is also releasing a single titled ‘Knives Down’, in support of his campaign and to create awareness.
The track is about his frustration with the government for what he perceives as their inaction on knife crimes.
Elba described the killings as “brutal”, adding that he cannot stay silent.
He argued that the government had not given the issue enough priority and called for “an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes.
I cannot stay silent as more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes, he said.
As school returns, too many young people will not be joining their classmates and too many grieving families have lost a young person they love in recent years.
Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be met, not taken away by violence.
Parliament has repeatedly not given this issue the focus it deserves, and our political leaders need to prioritise it now.
As well as an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes, we need to give young people more of a reason not to carry a weapon in the first place.
That means investing in the services that address the root causes of violent crime.
The development comes amid a series of horrific stabbings across the UK — including 16-year-old schoolboy Harry Pitman who was killed.
In August 2023, the Home Office announced that tougher measures on machetes and zombie-style knives would be introduced.
