D-Day in battle to beat blades
Russell Steele • Published 30 Jun 2010 12:00
TODAY is D-Day in the Inverclyde community campaign to have all knife-carrying thugs automatically locked up.
The fate of the long-running drive now lies solely in the hands of Scotland's 129 MSPs - and the result will be so tight Scottish Parliament party chiefs have pulled out all the stops to ensure every one of their MSPs attends the vital vote.
The Scottish Government's Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill will be voted on during a day-long debate.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is intent on ditching plans for six-month mandatory jail terms for knife carriers.
It is expected he will be supported by all his fellow SNP colleagues, plus the Lib Dems.
Both Labour and the Conservatives are in favour of the tough jail terms, which are supported by thousands of people across Scotland and backed by Holyrood's influential cross-party Justice Committee.
The campaign for mandatory sentences was sparked in Inverclyde with the appalling knife murder of Greenock man Damian Muir in 2007.
Damian's dad, John Muir, embarked on a brave battle for 'Damian's Law', working together with the Tele.
John said: "Today is what all the campaigning has been about over the last few years. Behind the shocking statistics on knife crime are real people.
"Failure by us, as a nation, to act on the menace of knife crime today will mean more needless carnage on our streets."
The Stop Knives Save Lives campaign has gathered nationwide support as it racked up a remarkable amount of achievements - closing a dangerous legal loophole on blade-carrying in common closes, toughening bail procedures and securing a £500,000 anti-knives education drive for Inverclyde before anywhere else.
Those feats were recognised when the Tele won Newspaper Campaign of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards in March.
To keep up the pressure, we have enlisted the support of campaigners and the local business community ahead of today's crucial decision day.
Thanks to local bus firm McGill's, we will transport almost 100 protesters to the Scottish Parliament to witness today's vote.
As well as Mr Muir, the delegation will include Margo Hagen and Lexi Lyall, who both lost their sons in knife attacks.
In memory of their lost loved ones, each of the families will lay a red carnation - supplied by local florists Harley's - outside the parliament, while placards have also been supplied by local sign-making company BEP.
l For full coverage of today's events at Holyrood, see tomorrow's Tele.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 30 Jun 10
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