Sadiq Khan and his call for tougher action on zombie knives

Another example of policy divergence from the London Mayor

Video questions
1. Why does the speaker believe it is more difficult for a teenager to buy a lottery ticket than to buy a machete or a zombie knife?
2. What concerns does the speaker have regarding the government's plans to make it more difficult to buy zombie knives and machetes?
3. According to the speaker, what are the reasons why young people carry and use knives?
4. What does the speaker suggest the government should do in regards to machetes and zombie knives?
5. What are the current plans of the government regarding the banning of zombie knives?
6. Why does the speaker believe that the current plans of the government may not be effective in banning dangerous knives?
7. What actions does the speaker propose in order to address the issue of young people carrying knives?

Correct answers:
1. The speaker believes it is more difficult for a teenager to buy a lottery ticket than to buy a machete or a zombie knife because there are no restrictions on purchasing these weapons online.
2. The speaker is concerned about the delay in the government's plans and the potential loopholes that may still exist, making it easy for young people to buy dangerous knives.
3. According to the speaker, young people carry and use knives because of the influence of combat-style knives like zombie knives and the perception of these knives as symbols of power.
4. The speaker suggests that the government should ban machetes altogether and also ban zombie knives.
5. The current plans of the government are to only ban zombie knives that are larger than 8 inches, serrated, have more than one hole, or have more than one spike.
6. The speaker believes that the current plans may not be effective because they could encourage manufacturers to create knives that do not fall under the ban criteria.
7. The speaker proposes that in addition to banning certain knives, there should be a focus on educating young people about the dangers of carrying knives and finding alternative forms of offensive weapons.

This comes on the back of a similar message by Idris Elba

So how does this fit with our studies of A Level Politics?

Recent media coverage has covered similar examples of divergent policy ideas emanating from the man in charge of governing the nation's capital. Why does this matter? Remember, one of the arguments in favour of devolution is that they act as 'laboratories of democracy', a phrase the US judge Louis Brandeis coined early in the 20th century with regards to federalism in that country. As such, devolved arenas can act as Petri dishes in a lab, trying out new policy ideas. And if successful, they can be replicated elsewhere in other regions.

It is fair to say that while some of the policies that have been developed by the Mayor of London's office have not been universally welcomed, they do represent policy divergence.

Others worth noting as examples for essays on devolution could include free school meals (see video below), a clean air zone (see video below), and his call for a flexible London-EU work plan for young people.