“Year after year I find myself burying young people who’ve been shot or stabbed in our communities. I see the trauma that families go through having lost their loved ones. I am tired of this government failing to effectively address the issues that result in young people carrying knives to schools and on the streets.”

The 2021 London Mayoral Election takes place on 6 May, and all the candidates are eager to resume campaigning after Covid-19 forced cancellation in March 2020.

Nims Obunge MBE, chief executive of the anti-crime and anti-violence charity The Peace Alliance, is running as an independent mayoral candidate. He spoke with Newham Voices and explained how he hopes to help Newham and London combat rising violent crime levels.

Commenting on research makes it clear that there is a direct link between poverty and violence, he said: “Wherever we find high levels of socio-economic deprivation, we find levels of criminality. What I want to do is make sure that we are working in those communities where people are most vulnerable and create inward investment to address poverty. One child stabbed is one child too many. We have got to do better in London.”

Research confirms that Newham has the highest number of children living in poverty in the capital, with more than half of them, 52 per cent, judged to be in households under the poverty line, compared to 38 per cent in the typical London borough.

A report by the City Intelligence Unit of the Greater London Authority Strategic Crime Analysis Team states that out of the 32 London boroughs, Newham is in the top five for violent crime offending and top nine for serious youth violence victims.

Nims believes that direct reinvestment into vulnerable communities and vulnerable people is the best way forward to help solve these problems. He said:“I intend to make sure that we have more effective and affordable homes. I also plan to implement a Community Coaches Scheme to help vulnerable families and members of the community. By investing in communities and ensuring that we are empowering our young people and families, we can help them get off the pathway of poverty.

“What has happened is people, specifically young people, have been left on their own to try and struggle to get through their issues, and what we want to do is make sure that those who are in that fight against poverty receive a helping hand.”

He also wants to introduce Mayoral HOPE schools aimed at addressing school exclusion. Since 2013 Newham school exclusions have risen by 81 per cent, with many linking this to increased crime rates.

Nims said: “I want the schools to help people excel, bringing in professionals heavily invested in the community so that the schools become places where aspirations and opportunities are built”.

He said it is worth remembering that people are not born criminals. Circumstances change people into criminals, and that is why “we need to empower and invest in our youth.”

The London Mayoral election is being held on May 6th. For information on the candidates (Shaun Bailey, Con; Kevin Balayev, Renew; Sian Berry, Green; Count Boniface; Valerie Brown, Burning Pink; Piers Corbyn, Let London Live; Max Fosh, Ind; Peter Gammons, UKIP; Richard Hewison, Rejoin EU; Heinous Hudson, Animal Welfare; Sadiq Khan, Lab; Farah London, Ind; Nims Obunge, Ind; Niko Omilana, Ind; Luisa Porritt, Lib Dem; Mandu Reid, Women’s Equality Party; Brian Rose, London Real.) go to www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/information-booklet

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