Labourhas vowed to get tough on crime by outlining measures in the King's Speech to crack down on shoplifting, ban ninja swords and make spiking a criminal offence - but there is no proposal to take action of crossbows.
A new Crime Bill will introduce 'stronger measures' to tackle low-level shoplifting following a surge in retail thefts and bring in the specific offence of assaulting a shopworker.
This will include reversing theso-called 'shoplifters' charter' introduced in 2014, under which the theft of goods under £200 is considered 'low value'.
Labour today pledged to strengthen community policing and introduce new 'Respect Orders' - which resemble Tony Blair's failed anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOS) - to target people causing a nuisance in their communities. They also plan to force criminals to attend sentencing hearings.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said last week she was urgently looking at whether to clamp down on crossbows after Carol Hunt, the wife of racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters were shot dead in their family home.
The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt to kill the late Queen with a crossbow, but the weapons were not mentioned in today's King's Speech.
Labour today vowed to ban 'ninja-style' swords. Pictured is a weapon taken off London's streets last year
There is currently no registration system for owning a crossbow, no requirement for a licence and they appear to be readily available to buy online.
But it is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy or own one, and anyone carrying a crossbow in public without a reasonable excuse faces up to four years behind bars.
The previous government also had plans in place to tighten laws on so-called zombie knives and machetes, but it stopped short of proposing an outright ban on ninja swords.
Labour said it will also introduce 'strict sanctions' on senior executives of online companies who illegally sell knives.
It has made a general pledge to halve serious violence over the next decade.
Other measures outlined in the speech include making assaulting a shop worker a specific criminal offence, and measures to tackle low-level shoplifting.
Figures released in April showed the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police had risen to the highest level in 20 years.
The move to create a separate offence follows a long-running campaign from major retailers and Conservative backbencher Matt Vickers amid rising violence against retail workers.
Paul Gerrard, Co-op director of campaign and public affairs, said the plans mark 'a seismic shift in the crackdown on retail crime' and will make it easier for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminals.
The Government also plans to tighten laws around spiking - there has been a long-running debate over whether it should be made a specific criminal offence.
There are plans to introduce 'respect orders' to target anti-social behaviour which would ban offenders from town centres in a bid to stamp out public drinking and drug use.
It is unclear whether these would work alongside existing notices and orders or mark a return to anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), previously used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and still used in Scotland.
There are plans to bring in new powers to tackle the use of off-road bikes, and to create an anti-social behaviour lead in every local council area, with a duty on the authority to tackle the issue.
Labour has responded to calls by His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services Andy Cooke for increased powers.
The watchdog will be given greater scope to intervene in failing police forces and will bring in mandatory national vetting standards.
It will also set up new national standards for procurement, shared services and specialist functions to save money.
The speech says the Government will get neighbourhood police and police community support officers (PCSOs) back on the beat in local communities, but does not specify how this will be done.
A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023.The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003
Two shoplifters brazenly steal products from a Boots store just yards from a police station - as helpless staff watch on
Labour has previously pledged to recruit 13,000 more PCSOs.
The Government also put forward measures designed to boost support for victims under the Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill.
Labour was elected 'on a promise to deliver a justice system that puts the needs of victims first', a document detailing Bills announced in the King's Speech said.
Key proposals revive those set out under the previous government to force criminals to attend sentencing hearings so victims can see them 'face the consequences of their actions', while paedophiles will be banned from having parental responsibilities and face restrictions on changing their names.
Last year campaigners and victims' families welcomed promises of laws to give judges powers to compel offenders to attend court after a string of killers, including child murderer Lucy Letby, refused as their punishment was handed down.
While the details of the latest measures are yet to be set out, previous proposals indicated custody officers would have the power to use 'reasonable force' to ensure those awaiting sentencing appear in the dock or by video-link, and those convicted could face an extra two years behind bars if they ignore the judge's instruction.
Earlier plans to see changes to the law so paedophiles convicted of serious sexual offences lose parental rights over their children have been reignited after they never came to pass under the previous government.
Current rules allow some offenders the right to be included when making important decisions about their children's education, health and travel, with some mothers forced to pay for legal action to prevent paedophile ex-partners from influencing their children's lives, MPs warned earlier this year.
The plans for the Bill also promise broadly to cut delays to justice amid backlogs of cases waiting to be heard in criminal courts, as well as a general pledge of making sure victims of crime and anti-social behaviour 'get the support they deserve'.
Part of this will involve giving the Victims' Commissioner extra powers so they can 'hold the system to account for the needs of victims not being met'.
Alluding to a manifesto pledge on associate prosecutors - who handle uncontested magistrate court cases for the Crown Prosecution Service - the document also hints at plans for the lawyers to be allowed to work on more types of 'appropriate' cases.
The Government also promises to 'deliver on our manifesto commitment to fast-track rape cases, with specialist courts at every crown court'.
Labour's vow to 'take back the streets' follows worrying rises in street-level offences including knife crime and shoplifting.
Official figures show that knife crime rose by 7 per cent in the year to December 2023.
In the year to March 2023, 82 per cent of teenage homicide victims were killed with a knife, compared to 73 per cent in the previous year.
There was no mention in the King's Speech of a plan to clamp down on crossbows. The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt by Star Wars obsessive Jaswant Singh Chail to kill the late Queen
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (seen today, left) previously said she was urgently looking at whether to clamp down on crossbows after Carol Hunt, the wife of racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters were shot dead in their family home
Meanwhile, shoplifting has risen to the highest level on record amid complaints the crime has been effectively 'decriminalised'.
A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023, up by more than a third (37%) from 315,040 in the previous 12 months.
The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Retail bosses have accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to become effectively decriminalised, with many police forces failing to attend the majority of reports and failing to gather any evidence when they do.
Under 40 per cent of shoplifting reports were attended by the Met between April 2022 and April 2023, recent figures revealed.
In his speech to Parliament, King Charles said today: 'Legislation will be brought forward to strengthen community policing, and give the police greater powers to deal with antisocial behaviour.'
Labour has also promised to bring forward Martyn's Law, which is focused on improving security at public venues and named after Manchester Arena bombing victim, Martyn Hett.
A bill, which would have required venues to prepare for terrorist attacks, was dropped in May.
Labour has vowed to force criminals to attend sentencing hearings after several high profile cases of serious criminals - such as serial killer nurse Lucy Letby - failing to do so
