Burglary epidemic in Dulwich and West Norwood: What are the MPs saying?

Here’s what the parliamentary candidates for Dulwich and West Norwood said when asked how they would tackle shoplifting:

Leon Cook – Conservative: “Shopkeepers must feel the full force of the law”

“Having now become almost an unpunished crime and a blot on the record of the Met and the Mayor of London. The causes of this are multiple, including homelessness, lack of education, and substance abuse.

“That said, the police have been neutered in their ability to investigate shoplifting due to its sheer volume and an approach that sees it as a ‘low-level’ crime. Many of the culprits are known to the police. They should feel the full force of the law.”

Donna Harris – Liberal Democrat: “I would push for all Safer Neighborhood teams to be in place”

“One of my first actions on being elected will be to push for all Safer Neighborhood Teams to be in place across the constituency. We need them to function well to serve the community.

“It is vital that business owners continue to report crime and it should be technically easier for them to do so. The Met needs to focus more on solving and preventing crime.

“We also need to remember why shoplifting happens and tackle the underlying issues so people don’t feel they have to resort to crime.

Pete Elliot – Green: “Recruitment is a big issue for the Met and there is a strong case for reforms”

“As chair of the Gipsy Hill Safer Neighborhood Panel, I have worked with the police to reduce shoplifting in our area. One of the issues was encouraging shop owners to report shoplifting because I don’t think anything will be done.”

He added: “Recruitment is a big problem for the Met and this is not helped by a steady stream of high-profile scandals.

“There is a strong case for reforms to the MET and as your MP I would work hard to push for further reforms, pursuing a better organizational structure and working to see that bad cultures can be stamped out once and for all .”

Helen Hayes – Work: ‘The hustle is fueled by addiction’

“Stores in Dulwich and West Norwood reported higher levels of theft. No one should feel unsafe in their workplace, and this is completely unacceptable.

“We have seen in West Norwood how good collaboration between businesses and the police can start to make a difference.

“Many thefts are fueled by addiction and we also need effective and readily available treatment and support for people who need support to change their behaviour.”

Gary Stevens – Reform: “Stop and Search, justice system reform, levels of policing and funding, zero tolerance, stronger leadership”

“Drugs and drug use are undoubtedly a major part of crime in the UK and London, as well as a major social problem.

“There is no single policy that can solve this pervasive problem: Stop and Search, justice system reform, police levels and funding, zero tolerance, stronger leadership and community engagement are just part of a much wider set of policies that make up the overall approach to crime.”

Chair analysis

Dulwich and West Norwood is yet another Labor stronghold, having held it since its creation in 1997. But the Greens have seen a surge in support in the 2019 election and it will be interesting to see how a Labor Party of center.

Like much of South London, Dulwich and West Norwood is diverse in every sense of the word. Straddling the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth, it includes affluent areas such as Dulwich Village, known for its high property values ​​and independent schools, as well as more deprived areas of Tulse Hill and West Norwood.

It is also one of the most educated constituencies in the country, according to 2021 census data. In areas such as Dulwich Village and Herne Hill & Dulwich Park, 67.4 and 72.8% of people have at least a bachelor’s degree .

In the 2019 election, Helen Hayes of the Labor Party got a comfortable 65.6% of the vote. But that year also saw the rise of the Greens, largely due to Brexit. Cast your mind back and you may recall that pro-EU candidates from the Liberal Democrat Party, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru have agreed not to oppose in 60 UK constituencies. The electoral pact was called “United to Remain”.

With no Lib Dem candidate to compete with, the Green Party under local candidate Jonathan Bartley secured 16.5% of the vote share, a massive increase of 14%. EU accession fell off the political agenda, with the major parties preferring to avoid the complex, controversial issue. When the electorate agrees on so many of the issues facing the country, why risk upsetting potential voters with such a divisive issue? Don’t expect any candidates to drop out this time. A member of the Liberal Democrat Party told us the party would “absolutely not” make this mistake again, with local party members “annoyed” by the 2019 election pact.

That said, both the Lib Dems and the Greens have identified re-entry to the EU as a long-term goal. It will be interesting to see if Dulwich and West Norwooders are still motivated by the ramifications of Brexit when they go to the polls. Given that it was the third-strongest remaining constituency during the EU referendum, it could still prove a key electoral issue.

On the local agenda is the NHS. Parts of the constituency, such as Gipsy Hill and West Dulwich, have been described as a “health desert”, located far from major hospitals. The recent ransomware attack that hit the Tessa Jowell Center will have highlighted the NHS’s ongoing struggles with waiting times. Voters also tend to be concerned about climate change. Meanwhile, parents who say their children are being mugged on their way to school will be looking for ways to tackle crime. The cost of living crisis will also be very important to many voters.

History of the constituency

Created in 1885, Dulwich and West Norwood was originally a suburban constituency, voting Conservative in all nineteen elections from 1885 to 1935. Notable MPs included Sir Frederick Hall and Bonar Law, who became Prime Minister in 1922. In 1892 a Liberal candidate estimated that Dulwich had about 4,000 working class voters out of 10,500 and noted that although it had a reputation as a “cottage constituency”, there were many voters who lived in less impressive homes.

The 1945 election was pivotal and the Labor candidate Wilfrid Vernon narrowly won. His inaugural speech was unconventional, proposing ideas such as retraining bombers for a world police force and moving the House of Commons to faraway “Northern Rhodesia or Tanganyika or arctic Canada”. In 1952, Vernon admitted to MI5 his involvement in a pre-war Soviet espionage group, but was not exposed at the time. He lost his seat in 1951 by 691 votes.

From 1945 to 1992, Dulwich was a marginal place. Labour’s Samuel Stilkin served from 1964 to 1983, followed by Conservative Geral Bowden. The election of Tessa Jowell in 1992 marked a period of Labor stability. In 1997, Dulwich merged into the new constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood. As an MP, Jowell improved public services, education and healthcare, particularly supporting mental health services. Nationally, she was known for her role in securing the 2012 London Olympics as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Helen Hayes was elected in 2015.

2019 election results

What are the candidates’ key commitments?

Helen Hayes – LabouR

1. I will fight to rebuild our local NHS services, including NHS dentistry.
2. I will work to tackle the housing crisis by reforming the planning system to make it easier for our councils to deliver truly affordable housing to the local residents who need it.
3. I will work to tackle the cost of living crisis, reduce energy bills and deliver clean renewable energy to meet the climate emergency.

Pete Elliot – Green

1. Work tirelessly to support Southwark and Lambeth residents with housing issues and ensure their homes are safe, secure and insulated to the highest standards to reduce fuel bills and improve comfort.
2. Do everything in my power to prevent further privatization of the National Health Service, which will be under massive threat from a large Labor majority which started privatization under Tony Blair.
3. In everything I do as MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, social justice and environmental justice will drive my decision-making and priorities. Democracy is broken in this country and we need to bring our government structures into the 21st^St century and make politics more accessible to all.

Donna Harris – Liberal Democrat

1. Fix the housing crisis – safe, secure and warm homes for everyone.
2. Take action to save the NHS and social care – make sure everyone can get a GP or dentist appointment when they need it and reform mental health and CAMHS services so they are fit for purpose for all.
3. Put Britain back on the road to EU membership by rebuilding our trading relationship with our closest neighbours.

Leon Cook – Conservative

1. Remove LTNs to release congestion.
2. Overturning or preventing any VAT on schools which will blow up the state school sector.
3. Protect your green public spaces and make them more accessible, including for the elderly or disabled, by eradicating CPZs nearby.

Gary Stevens – The Reformation

1. Reduce street crime in Dulwich and West Norwood and make our streets safer.
2. Be the inhabitants DAWN voice at the local level, as well as at the national level and support them whenever needed.
3. To work with all the various volunteer organizations within DAWN to help advance their goals.