I met with the Lord Chancellor this afternoon to discuss how we can better protect women and girls in Southampton Itchen. Donna Jones, the police and crime commissioner for Southampton, and I met last month to discuss how we can make our streets safer. Southampton's crime rate is 110% of the national rate and according to Southampton City Council's 2023 survey, shockingly only 2% of those who replied said they believed crime had gone down in the city. That is unacceptable. We all deserve to live in a safe city. Where we can all live without living in fear. We must do more to protect our most vulnerable.
The Lord Chancellor agrees with me that we must make more meaningful changes to our systems, to make sure that the innocent go free, but that the convicted are kept away from harming innocent civilians.
I urge the Labour run Southampton City Council to stop their ludicrous policy of turning off street lights at night. It makes all of us feel less safe.
Please contact my office for more information.
Sidney Yankson
