Tony McNulty MP, Labour's Policing Minister, responding to David Cameron's speech in Glasgow today said:

"David Cameron is trying hard to sound tough today - but this is from the man who says he wants to hug a hoodie.

"As the Prime Minister said last month, carrying a knife is unacceptable. We have doubled the maximum sentence for carrying a knife, and anyone over 16 caught with a knife should be prosecuted. When they get to court, they are now almost three times as likely to go to prison as ten years ago.

"The Tories have consistently voted soft on law and order. They have voted against tougher sentences for murder, sexual and violent offences, against five year minimum sentences for carrying an illegal gun, against allowing new trials for murder if new evidence comes to light, and against giving the police more powers to take DNA from suspects.

"People will ask themselves how the Conservative Party can claim to campaign against crime in Glasgow when on the same day they are campaigning in Haltemprice and Howden against our policies to use CCTV and DNA evidence to fight crime.

"David Cameron can't continue to treat people like idiots. He needs to tell the country what his policies are on crime - and not just tell one audience one thing and the next audience something completely different."