PRESS RELEASE

December 15th, 2008

Time to get tough knives

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP has reacted with dismay to the news that the Scottish Government have opposed a petition to make prison sentences mandatory for knife users.

The petition gained 15,000 signatures before being presented by anti-knife campaigner John Muir to the Parliament's petitions committee earlier this year.

Now Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, has opposed the petition in his submission to the committee and insisted he favours guidelines set by the judiciary.

Duncan McNeil has called on the Cabinet Secretary to listen to the people.

He said: "We have heard Kenny MacAskill talk tough about knife crime before but now the cat is out of the bag.

"He has made it clear he is for guidelines and opposes mandatory prison sentences for knife users.

"That means those who carry and use knives would 'normally' go to prison as the Cabinet Secretary puts it but not automatically.

"His position doesn't seem to have done him any favours with the judiciary as we hear they are still not happy with him.

"Maybe it is about time he listened to the public rather than the judges."

ENDS