Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime

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"Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" is a British political slogan most strongly associated with New Labour. It was used in a September 1993 speech by Shadow Home Secretary and future party leader Tony Blair to the Labour party conference, [1] and was seen as an attempt at triangulation, with Labour using the slogan to attack the "tough on crime" approach traditionally favoured by the Conservative Party. An example of this approach was the introduction of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. [2]

Contents

The slogan has seen continued use by Labour beyond the New Labour era. Ed Miliband said the slogan remained Labour policy under his leadership, [3] and Keir Starmer has also promoted the slogan as representing Labour's intended approach to crime. [4] [5]

History

The slogan "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" was coined in 1992 by Alun Michael, Tony Blair's deputy as shadow home secretary during the Labour leadership of John Smith. Though it later came to be associated with Blair, he was initially uninterested with the slogan, opting not to use it in most of his speeches. [6] According to Michael, the concept behind the slogan was to combine a tough, law and order approach on crime with a more preventive focus on crime and reoffending by tackling social issues which are known to cause crime, such as poverty, homelessness and unemployment. [7] [8] Blair first used the slogan publicly in an interview in January 1993. [9] [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Tony Blair 1953– British Labour statesman, Prime Minister 1997—2007". Tony Blair. Oxford Essential Quotations (6th ed.). Oxford University Press. 2018. ISBN   9780191866692 . Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Loveday, Barry (1 April 1999). "Tough on Crime or Tough on the Causes of Crime? An Evaluation of Labour's Crime and Disorder Legislation" . Crime Prevention and Community Safety. 1 (2): 7–24. doi:10.1057/palgrave.cpcs.8140012. ISSN   1743-4629.
  3. ↑ "Stop and search your PCC - Labour candidates". Stop Watch. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  4. ↑ Chaplain, Chloe (5 April 2023). "How Keir Starmer's attempts to copy Tony Blair on crime are dividing Labour". The i Paper. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Hardman, Isabel (23 March 2023). "Starmer wants to steal crime from the Tories". The Spectator. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "High-profile minister who aims to reshape our lives". South Wales Echo. 29 April 1998. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Alun Michael stands down as Cardiff South and Penarth MP today". Wales Online. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Downes, David; Newburn, Tim (2022). The Official History of Criminal Justice in England and Wales: Volume IV: The Politics of Law and Order. Taylor & Francis. p. 147. ISBN   978-1-000-77499-3 . Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Tonry, Michael (2012). Punishment and Politics. Routledge. p. 3. ISBN   978-1-135-99811-0 . Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  10. ↑ Burney, Elizabeth (2013). Making People Behave: Anti-social Behaviour, Politics and Policy. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN   978-1-134-02618-0 . Retrieved 3 June 2025.
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