Actor Idris Elba, who many have said should play iconic British spy character James Bond in the 007 franshise, has suggested that kitchen knives should be sold without points in order to prevent gun violence in England. High-profile stabbing attacks have rocked the nation, including one over the summer in which an African man from Wales, Axel Rudakubana, stabbed three school girls to death, leaving many others injured.
The Southport attacks did lead to further restrictions on knives. To sell knives in the UK, online retailers will be required to request two forms of identification from buyers: both a passport and live video to prove that they are of age to make the purchase. PM Keir Starmer addressed the new changes in an opinion piece in The Sun, which read "The lessons og the case could not be clearer." He said that Rudakubana, to whom he referred as "the Southport murderer," carried knives as a child and should not have been permitted to buy them."
"The truth is, is that kitchen knives are perhaps 25% of the knives used in the most terrible crimes," Elba said in a viral clip. "...And those kitchen knives are usually a domestic situation. Okay. So kitchen knives, of course it's very difficult, they're a domestic knife. I do think there are areas of innovation that we can do with kitchen knives."
"I hate to say it," Elba went on, "Not all kitchen knives need to have a point on them. That sounds like a crazy think to say, but actually it would reduce—y'know, you can still cut your food without the point on the knife, which is an innovating way to sort of look at it. And in a country in crisis, I'm sorry, but yeah, let's look at that.
"But the truth is all knives—y'know the loophole on the heritage knives allows the sale of ninja swords to be sold. So while, you know, and you want that, that's fine of course. But it is leaving a loophole for someone to carry a ninja sword.
"So let's ban them all," Elba went on. "and if you have one of those knives get a license for it. And I think it's a small contribution to a society if you say 'Right, I'm going to back that. I'll get a license for my grand dad's sword.' Because it is leaving these kids vulnerable."
The UK does have restrictions on knives, and violations of those laws can result in up to 4 years of prison as well as a fine. Two strikes against this law will lead to a mandatory prison sentence. In the UK, it is "illegal to use any knife or weapon in a threatening way."
Further, it is illegal to "carry most knives or any weapons in public without a 'good reason'," or to "sell most knives or any weapons to anyone under the age of 18." Pocket knives that are not longer than three inches and pocket knives that are not "lock knives" are exceptions.
As for the good reasons to carry a knife in public, include "for your work," "for religious reasons, such as the kirpan some Sikhs carry," and "as part of any national costume." Self defense is not considered a "good reason" for anyone in the UK to carry a knife.
"A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally," reads the law. On the lengthy list of banned knives is included "A knife with a cutting edge, a serrated edge and images or words suggesting it is used for violence."
