Vauxhall and Camberwell Green: MP candidates to find out if stop and frisk is the solution to knife crime

Knife crime remains a persistent problem for the communities of Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, but not everyone agrees on how to tackle it.

Stop-and-search, which gives police powers to search people for illegal items if they have “reasonable grounds” to do so, has been touted as a possible solution.

Following the tragic killing of Johanita Dogbey, her killer was caught and found to be carrying a gun after a police check and search.

But campaigners sometimes warn that the policy disproportionately targets ethnic minorities and breeds mistrust between police and marginalized communities.

Here’s what the major party candidates for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green had to say:

Catherine Dawkins – Green: “The Green Party wants The Green Party wants fair, intelligence-led policing that builds community trust”

“Stop and search, although occasionally effective, as in the case you presented, often risks alienating ethnic minority groups.

“I support the Green Party’s policy of fair, intelligence-led policing that builds community trust to effectively prevent crime and ensure safer neighborhoods without discrimination.”

Aarti Joshi – Conservative: ‘Stop and search only when there is clear evidence’

I support the use of stop and search only when there is clear evidence for it and when it is targeted and intelligence-led and only used in the most exceptional circumstances. There should also be a separate department set up alongside the police that is solely responsible for investigating scams, internet fraud and other AI crimes.

Chris French – Liberal Democrat: “It should only be used where there are real reasons to do so‘

“The tragic and unprovoked killing of Johanita is truly shocking and my heart goes out to her family and friends. Generally, knife crime needs to be targeted.

“As a former special constable, I have used stop and search and I have seen stop and search misused. It can obviously be an effective tool, but it is disproportionately used against black and brown people.

“It should only be used where there are real reasons to do so.”

Florence Eshalomi – Labour: “Solutions must address the causes – the availability of dangerous knives and gang-related exploitation”

“The hardest part of my time as an MP so far has been talking to the families of people who have been killed by violence, including Johanita. I will never forget those conversations, which lead me to find solutions.

“Stop and Search can be effective, but only where there are clear reasons for it. We need to recognize the trust issues that have been caused by the excessive use of these powers by the police, particularly within the black community.

“The solution to serious violence is to tackle its causes – restricting the availability of dangerous knives, tackling gang-related exploitation and intervening early to prevent people from being drawn into violence in the first place.”

Mike King – Reform

Southwark News was unable to reach Mike King to get answers to our questions about the 2024 general election.

Other candidates standing:

Andrew McRobbie – Social Democratic Party

Chair analysis

Newly established Vauxhall and Camberwell Green is considered a Labor stronghold. Vauxhall, which makes up the largest part, has consistently voted Labor since 1929. In 2019, Labour’s Florence Eshalomi took 56.1% of the vote. Her nearest rival was Liberal Democrat Sarah Lewis, who took 21.3%. Newly added areas such as Newington and Camberwell Green are also strong areas for work.

Vauxhall is ethnically, culturally and economically diverse. Although the area has traditional working-class roots, major redevelopment in recent years has seen wealthier residents move into the area. There is also a very strong LGBTQ+ community. According to the most recent census, 10% of residents identify as LGBTQ+. This is the third most in the UK, surpassed only by Brighton Pavillion and Brighton Kemptown.

History of the constituency

Vauxhall and Camberwell Green is a new constituency, created following the recommendations of the Boundary Commission. It is mainly made from the old Vauxhall constituency, but Camberwell Green has been added, formerly part of Peckham and Camberwell. Newington also joined, having previously been part of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Areas such as Clapham Common and Clapham High Street have since been removed and added to the new constituency of Clapham and Brixton Hill. The redraw of the boundary lines has been controversial, with some pointing out that Camberwell Green has few cultural or historical links with Vauxhall.

Vauxhall has consistently voted Labor MPs since 1929, with the exception of 1931. In the 1989 by-election, Kate Hoey was elected to the seat, which she held until 2019 before resigning from the party. Hoey proved to be a prominent, if controversial, figure within the Labor Party. Her socially conservative views sometimes made her stand out among more progressive colleagues. She also campaigned to leave the EU, despite strong support for Remain among her voters. She spent much of her life in favor of a United Ireland, although she became more pro-Unionist as her career progressed.

In 2019, Hoey announced that he would not stand in the next general election. Florence Eshalomi was elected in December 2019 in a painful election for the party at national level, in which Jeremy Corbyn’s Labor secured just 202 seats. Eshalomi, a former Lambeth councilor and London Assembly member, is a lifelong Brixton resident who attended local state schools. In her inaugural speech in the House of Commons, she said: “I never imagined that for almost five years a day, as I literally walked up and down the maternity ward, looking across the river, trying to coax my daughter to leave. , I would now be sitting in this Parliament fighting for funding for our hardworking doctors and nurses.”

2019 election results

What are the candidates’ key commitments?

Florence Eshalomi – LabouR

1. Offer free breakfast clubs at every primary school in Vauxhall and Camberwell Green to reduce childcare costs for young families.
2. Introduce a new network of youth centers to tackle anti-social behavior and reduce violent youth crime.
3. Support the building of truly affordable homes and strengthen the rights of renters in our area, including a complete ban on no-fault evictions.

Chris French – Liberal Democrat

1. A fair deal for local tenants and landlords.
2. Take Thames Water over raw sewage dumped into the Thames. Clean up our local environment.
3. Support our local LGBTQ+ community.

Catherine Dawkins – Green

1. Improving public transport: I am committed to improving bus services, expanding transport networks and investing in cycle infrastructure to make commuting in Vauxhall and Camberwell Green easier, greener and more sustainable.
2. Promoting inclusive and affordable housing: I am committed to ensuring that all new residential developments in the constituency include a minimum of 50% affordable housing, involving local communities in the planning process to create inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods.
3. Social and environmental justice: I promise that all policies – from housing to education – will be fair and just for the environment and people. A clean and green future is the only way to truly give back to local communities and protect the world we live in.

Aarti Joshi – conservative

1. Improve the quality and availability of housing.
2. Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
3. Better education and opportunities.