When questioned yesterday about tool theft in the House of Commons, PM Keir Starmer said the government would address the problem by increasing neighbourhood policing, acknowledging the “devastating impact of these crimes”.
In the House of Commons yesterday, Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, raised the topic of tool theft to the Prime Minister. She said: “Since my election I have been championing and backing our country’s plumbers, builders, electricians and tradespeople. These are not the people just building Britain, but holding all of our communities together. That’s why I’ve been campaigning for tougher sentencing and action on tool theft, and for the real cost of this crime to be recognised.
“I want to firstly thank everyone in this sector who has backed the campaign, because together we’ve shown the message is clear: 14 years of government neglect, it’s time for action and change.”
She then concluded her speech by asking the Prime Minister if he would “work with the secretary of state for justice, and myself, to include my bill as we review sentencing and justice so the punishment finally fits this crime?”
Starmer – whose late father worked as a toolmaker – began his response by acknowledging the work Martin had done to raise awareness for tool theft, specifically commenting on how she “led the campaign to highlight the devastating impact of these crimes”.
He also went on to say: “For hardworking small businesses, the theft of tools isn’t just a violation, it can mean thousands of pounds of work lost, and with a huge impact to businesses and to families.”
The Prime Minister concluded that the government was investing over £1.2bn extra into policing, and was introducing 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers “to focus on crimes that impact on communities the most”. He also assured that the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood would “look at the details carefully”.
Amanda Martin has been particularly vocal about the issue of tool theft since her appointment as an MP. She attended and supported Trades United’s tool theft rally at Westminster earlier this year, and has proposed the new Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill, which will get its second reading in Parliament later this year.
She has previously spoken with kbbreview about the impact of tool theft, insisting that “as a government, [her party] absolutely recognises the value of tradespeople”.
