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A Conservative government would implement a significant increase in the utilization of stop and search powers within high-crime areas across England and Wales, according to statements made by the shadow home secretary.
Addressing his party’s conference, Chris Philp asserted that this measure would be crucial in combating knife crime.
He also pledged to bolster police ranks by recruiting an additional 10,000 officers should the Conservative Party secure victory in the upcoming general election.
Furthermore, Philp outlined proposed policies aimed at ensuring “sustained negative net migration” through the establishment of a binding annual cap on immigration.
Official figures indicate that net migration to the UK – the difference between the number of people entering and leaving the country – reached 690,100 in the year leading up to June 2024.
Despite being in power for 14 years, successive Conservative administrations have consistently fallen short of their stated objective to reduce net migration to the “tens of thousands.”
However, Philp stated that a future Conservative government would prioritize a reduction in net migration by introducing a legally binding annual target, subject to parliamentary approval each year.
“Let me be clear: the era of mass, low-skill migration must come to an end,” he declared at the Conservative conference in Manchester.
“Therefore, we will ensure that those who have previously arrived to work, but have either failed to find employment or have only secured low-wage jobs, will be required to depart upon the expiration of their visas.”
“Ultimately, only those who demonstrably contribute to our society will be permitted to remain permanently, and non-citizens should not expect to receive benefits funded by taxpayers.”
Turning to the issue of law and order, Philp detailed plans to recruit 10,000 additional police officers, at an estimated annual cost of £800 million. He indicated that this expenditure would be financed through savings identified by Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride in his address to the conference.
Furthermore, he stated his intention to increase the utilization of stop and search powers by the police if he were to become home secretary.
“It is absurd that the mere smell of cannabis, or the wearing of a menacing mask, is generally insufficient, under current legal guidelines, to justify a stop and search,” he argued.
“In my view, a single indicator of suspicion should be enough.”
“Therefore, within designated hotspot areas, we will authorize routine stop and search procedures without requiring specific suspicion. Any individual may be subject to search.”
“We will amend the law accordingly, and we will triple the use of stop and search.”
“This will save lives and remove knives from our streets. We have the resolve to implement this, unlike the Labour Party.”
In 2014, then Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May tightened the regulations surrounding stop and search following an inquiry that revealed that 27% of police searches may have been unlawful.
She stated at the time that the misuse of stop and search constituted “an enormous waste of police time” and “an unacceptable affront to justice.”
However, this policy was reversed in 2019 by her successor, Sajid Javid, who made it easier for officers to conduct searches without reasonable suspicion in areas where serious violence was deemed likely to occur.
In April 2022, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) issued 18 recommendations to police forces across England and Wales, aimed at addressing the “disproportionate use of stop-and-search on people from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds.”
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