Idris Elba officially launched his 'Don't Stop Your Future' campaign today after appearing at London's Parliament Square. The campaign is aimed to pressure the government to do more to tackle knife crime.

The Home Office had pledged to take action concerning access to "zombie knives" and machetes last year, following stats from the ONS revealed that knife crime in 2023 had increased by 3% from 2022.

As part of the campaign, Parliament Square was filled with small piles of clothes, each representing a life lost in 2023 due to knife crime.

Elba says; the zombie knives are now becoming easily accessible through online services.

In an open letter on the Don’t Stop Your Future website, Elba writes “This morning, when our political leaders come to work, they’ll pass by a series of neatly folded outfits in Parliament Square representing those lost in 2023.

"While the victims come from all walks of life, they share one terrible thing in common. They all got dressed that day not knowing it would be their last.”

Elba was joined by Yemi Hughes, who brought with her the clothes her son Andre Aderemi wore when he fell victim to a knife attack at just 19 years old.

Speaking to Sky News, Elba addressed the ‘misconceptions’ surrounding Knife Crime, “it’s not just a black issue, it’s not just a London issue, it’s a nationwide issue”.

The Don’t Stop Your Future campaign aims not only to highlight the accessibility of knives to young people but also the larger social issues at the root of knife violence amongst young people.

‍To tackle these issues, the Don’t Stop Your Future Campaign urges the government to ‘convene a coalition to End Knife Crime' to bring together “Government departments, grassroots organisations, sporting bodies and young people” in productive conversation against violent knife crime.

A report from The Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity "tackling knife crime through education and campaigning", shows 282 murders involved a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in 2023. The highest total since 1946.

Elba has also released a new track in light of the new campaign called: ‘Knives Down’ feat. DB Maz via GRM Daily which can be watched below:

‍