London mayoral elections: Lib Dem candidate says stop and search is 'a low priority'

The Liberal Democrats' London mayoral candidate Rob Blackie has said he would make stop and search for drugs a "very low priority".

At his campaign launch, Mr Blackie said resources should instead be diverted to tackle serious offences like violent crime.

He told supporters Labour mayor Sadiq Khan's "failure" on crime was the main reason he was running for the Lib Dems.

Labour said Mr Khan was investing an extra £151m in policing.

At the launch event Mr Blackie, a former adviser to the late Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, recounted his own experience of being mugged in south London several years ago when he severely injured his neck.

He claimed violent offences had gone up 30% and the sexual assault solve rate had gone down 50% in the past eight years.

"Too many Londoners are suffering the dark reality of violent crime," he said.

The Lib Dem candidate argued that even the police themselves did not want to carry out so many stops and searches for drugs like cannabis and laughing gas.

"There have been a million stop and searches in the last five years.

"It's a million times that resources could be used for something better," he said

He told BBC London the practice should instead be used for the "very small minority of cases" when serious, violent offences were suspected.

He added that when cannabis was found, it took up time with officers dealing with those arrested and "clogs up the court system".

Labour said Sadiq Khan was investing an extra £151m in policing and recent statistics showed violence against the person crime rates were lower than many parts of the country, including Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

"This election is a close two-horse race between Sadiq and the Conservative candidate," a Labour spokesperson added.

Meanwhile Conservative candidate Susan Hall said: "This is a two horse race between me and Sadiq Khan. I will listen to Londoners, get a grip of crime, build more affordable family homes and scrap the Ulez expansion on day one."

At the last three elections the Liberal Democrat candidate received less than 5% of the vote and lost their £10,000 deposit.

The Lib Dems are currently the fourth party on the London Assembly with two members compared to the Greens on three.

Green candidate Zoe Garbett also says she would overhaul stop and search and had long supported a policy to de-prioritise the policing of cannabis, arguing she would offer a drastic rethink on this as well as the climate crisis.

"The facts speak for themselves," she said. "If people are fed up with Labour and the Tories, the most effective vote is a Green vote.

"We came third in every London-wide election since 2012, with the Lib Dems languishing behind."

Mr Blackie also revealed to those attending the event in Brixton, south London, that he had recently been successfully treated for cancer.

He also criticised the Silvertown Tunnel - claiming he would be announcing plans to improve its environmental impact later in his campaign.

He also pledged to give the capital control of work permits, allowing in foreign workers the capital needs by creating a "London Passport".

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