London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 20, 2026

PMQs: Starmer urges action over violence against women

PMQs: Starmer urges action over violence against women

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the prime minister to strengthen victims' rights, as part of a bid to tackle violence against women.

The Labour leader said nine out of 10 women subjected to sexual violence do not feel confident coming forward.

Boris Johnson said he was "happy to look at new proposals" but insisted ministers have acted in this area.

And he urged a "cultural and social" change over how violence against women is dealt with.

At Prime Minister's Questions, he said he agreed with Sir Keir that the death of Sarah Everard should mark a "turning point" in how the issue is handled.

The 33-year-old marketing executive went missing while walking home from a friend's house on 3 March. Her body was later found in woodland in Kent.

Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, has been charged with her kidnap and murder.

The Labour leader said the case should mark a "watershed moment" in how society deals with the "epidemic" of violence against women and girls.

Calling for politicians to "work together" on the issue, he urged the PM to back a "specific new law" on street harassment and "toughen" the law relating to stalking.

He also called for government support to help pass and implement a new law on victims' rights suggested by a Labour MP in under six months.

'Long-term change'


The bill, proposed by shadow victims' minister Peter Kyle, would enshrine rights set out in the Victims' Code in law and empower the government's victims' commissioner to launch their own investigations.

Mr Johnson said he would look at the proposals, but stressed action was already being taken, including £100m for advisers in sexual violence and domestic abuse cases.

He added although this would be "part of the solution," there also needed to be "long-term cultural and societal change to deal with this issue".

"Unless and until we have a change in our culture that acknowledges and understands that women currently do not feel they are being heard, we will not fix this problem," he added.

What would Labour's Victims' Law include?

*  Ensuring victims are read their rights at the same time as perpetrators

*  Creating a register for people who run departments in the justice system which routinely ignore victims' rights

*  Giving victims of persistent anti-social behaviour the same rights as victims of crimes

*  Making the Victims' Commissioner independent of government and able to launch their own investigations


Both leaders decided to speak calmly to show that they are finding common ground in dealing with societal issues of attacks on women.

But, judging by the arguments back and forth, there is no common ground.

From a political point of view, there is no agreement on how to tackle the issue of violence against women, and what the next steps should be.

Although the prime minster said he thought parties should work together on the issue, he did criticise Labour for voting against the government's policing and sentencing bill on Tuesday.

The wide-ranging bill, which contains proposals in a number of areas of criminal justice, has been given initial backing by MPs and will now face further scrutiny.

The prime minister said the legislation contained plans to toughen sentences for sexual and violent offenders and called Labour's decision to oppose it "crazy".

But Sir Keir said "nothing in that bill" would have increased sentences for those convicted of rape.

The Labour leader also criticised "shocking" official rape prosecution figures, adding that 98.5% of rapes reported to police do not lead to prosecution.

The prime minister said he recognised ministers needed to "sort it out" and insisted the government was trying to accelerate the speed at which cases are dealt with.

Was Starmer right on rape statistics?

Sir Keir Starmer told MPs that "only 1.5% of rapes reported to the police lead to a prosecution".

The prime minister agreed that "the prosecution rates for rape were a disgrace".

The statistic to which they are referring comes from Crime Outcomes in England and Wales, 2019-2020.

It shows that the proportion of rape complaints that led to a charge or court summons in the year to the end of March 2020 was 1.4%.


Sir Keir criticised "shocking" figures on rape prosecution


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
UK Explores Joining Canada-Led Global Defence Bank
Thirlwall Inquiry Highlights Management Failures Surrounding Lucy Letby Crimes
Parliamentary Committee Calls for New UK Law to Address AI Risks to Human Rights
UK Considers Giving Regional Mayors Greater Oversight of Water Companies
UK Opposition Presses Burnham for Stronger Response to Russian Security Threats
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over £72 Million in Donations as Political Finance Rules Tighten
Millisecond Software Failure Behind UK Air-Traffic Outage That Cancelled More Than 2,000 Flights
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Energy Prices Complicate Inflation Outlook
Burnham Warns of Difficult Choices in October Budget as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies at County Durham NHS Trust
British Steel Costs Taxpayers £1.3 Million a Day as MPs Demand Long-Term Plan
UK Parliament Advances Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
King Charles Urges Human-Centred Approach to Artificial Intelligence at Scotland Summit
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Voting-Age and Political Finance Reforms
UK Labour Market Shows Growing Divide Between Younger and Older Workers
Nearly Seven in 10 UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target Amid North Sea Energy Debate
UK Parliament Demands Credible Financial and Decarbonisation Plan for British Steel
MPs Urge Government to Reject Thames Water Rescue Deal and Prepare Special Administration
Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% as Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
×