Cameron: Brown "ditched" focus on crime
Friday, 18 January 2008 12:00 AM
David Cameron today appeared to accuse the prime minister of allowing crime to slip down the political agenda.
The Conservative leader said Gordon Brown had "ditched" Labour's 'respect agenda', spearheaded by his predecessor Tony Blair.
Furthermore Mr Brown had not identified crime as one of his "big challenges" for the year ahead, Mr Cameron said.
In an interview with BBC News he said: "Well, I think it is absolutely one of the biggest challenges this country faces."
Downing Street said yesterday that the principles underlying the 'respect agenda' were still in effect and the prime minister takes the need to address antisocial behaviour "very seriously".
But, Number Ten said the responsibility for dealing with young people now lies with the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which was created by Mr Brown to provide an "integrated approach" to tackling youth issues.
In a series of television interviews, the Conservative leader claimed crime is now common in many British communities and called for people to "take back our streets" and "re-socialise" society.
Mr Cameron told GMTV some streets had been "lost to thugs".
He criticised the home secretary Jacqui Smith for refusing to accept the Conservative's claims of "social breakdown".
"In parts of our country there is social breakdown," Mr Cameron said.
"Society stops at the front door of our house and the streets have been lost and we've got to reclaim them. And that means really big action right across the board."
Fighting crime needs a "big social, cultural and political change," he said.
The next Conservative government would impose a national citizen service for teenagers.
This would not be the same as national service, which would not be good for either the army or country Mr Cameron said today, but would be loosely inspired by it.
Mr Cameron told GMTV: "I think what was good about national service is it did bring people together and say, 'Look, you're part of something bigger than yourself, part of a country, and you have responsibilites and duties as a citizen'.
"That's what I think we ought to be doing in the future."
Mr Cameron also voiced his support for Helen Newlove, the widow of Garry Newlove who was murdered in Warrington last August.
After three teenagers were found guilty of his murder this week, Mrs Newlove hit out at the level of antisocial disorder she claimed occurred in her neighbourhood.
Mr Cameron said Mrs Newlove "spoke for millions when she said that in too many parts of the country the streets have been taken over by thugs and society has retreated".
Newsletter sign up