Comment: empty benches

Only 10 London MPs out of a total of 74 were known to be at the Commons debate on knife crime yesterday. Iain Duncan Smith, Andy Love, Simon Hughes and others who did attend recognised the need to debate a matter of intense public concern. Constituents want to know their representatives understand how the spreading trend of carrying knives is a worry for every London family with teenagers.

It is the role of MPs to ensure their communities' concerns on this vital issue are heard. And there are solutions that need to be debated, as this paper's Knife Crime Charter has shown. The measures range from more effective policing, to a tougher approach to charging and sentencing, through to action by families, schools, the voluntary sector and prisons to provide role models, steer young people away from gangs and show them the impact of violence. Much can be done. The capital's MPs must engage in the debate to thrash out the solutions and demonstrate by their presence that London wants action.