Claim 3114dc4fChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“Ed Davey and his party stand ready to work with the Government on serious policies to tackle knife crime.”
—Ed DaveyLiberal DemocratLD / Kingston and Surbiton·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · historical current chronological
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The claim that Ed Davey and the Liberal Democrats stand ready to work with the Government on serious policies to tackle knife crime is well-supported by substantial public evidence:
1. **Lib Dem manifesto commitments**: The Liberal Democrats' 2024 manifesto included detailed, specific knife crime policies, including a "public health approach" to youth violence, youth diversion schemes, and investment in youth services.
2. **Ed Davey's explicit cross-party call**: In a BBC article, Ed Davey directly stated: "This is something which the government needs to take responsibility for - I will take responsibility for - on a cross party basis to make the change that we need."
3. **Active engagement with the current Labour government**: Lib Dem MP Luke Taylor led a Westminster Hall debate on knife crime and children/young people in March 2025, constructively engaging with the Labour government's approach. Lib Dem MP Bobby Dean submitted written questions on knife crime in February 2025. The Lib Dems have also been pressuring the Labour government to properly fund policing to deliver on knife crime promises.
4. **Long track record**: Ed Davey has actively participated in parliamentary debates on knife crime (2018, 2019), proposing specific alternative policies like "anti-blade contracts" and a public health approach, while expressing willingness to work across party lines.
There is no evidence contradicting the claim. The Liberal Democrats have consistently demonstrated constructive engagement on knife crime policy with both Conservative and Labour governments, and have put forward substantive policy proposals of their own.
Sources:
- Liberal Democrat Manifesto 2024 (https://manifesto.deryn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/For_a_Fair_Deal_-_Liberal_Democrat_Manifesto_2024.pdf)
- BBC News, "Youth have knife crime solutions - Idris Elba" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nngpmj102o)
- Politics Home, "Liberal Democrat MP Calls For More Police Officers In London Schools" (https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/liberal-democrat-mp-calls-police-officers-london-schools)
- Parallel Parliament, Luke Taylor extracts from Knife Crime: Children and Young People debate, 20 March 2025 (https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/mp/luke-taylor/debate/2025-03-20/commons/commons-chamber/knife-crime-children-and-young-people)
- Parallel Parliament, Ed Davey extracts from Offensive Weapons Bill debate, 26 March 2019 (https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/mp/ed-davey/debate/2019-03-26/commons/commons-chamber/offensive-weapons-bill)
- Liberal Democrats official website, "Lib Dems call on Labour Govt to rule out real-terms policing budget cuts" (https://www.libdems.org.uk/news/article/lib-dems-call-on-labour-govt-to-rule-out-real-terms-policing-budget-cuts-as-unsolved-vehicle-theft-epidemic-continues)
- TheyWorkForYou, Hansard Written Answers on Knives: Crime, 13 Feb 2025 (https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2025-02-05.29074.h)
From speech
I thank the Prime Minister for his reply and completely agree with him. We stand ready to work with the Government on serious policies to tackle knife crime. With our armed forces overstretched, Labour now seems to be investing in a new weapon of war: the long-form essay. It gives another meaning to the phrase “drone warfare”—[Laughter.] Tony Blair says that the UK should suck up to Donald Trump, kowtow to US tech barons and go slow on Europe—the Prime Minister must be grateful for this rare endorsement of his agenda. Blair also claims that the sensible people are not radical and the radical people are not sensible. Is the Prime Minister concerned that unless he changes course, he will be remembered for being neither radical nor sensible?
Sources opened