Cameron calls for cultural shift to tackle UK gun crime

Creating a long-term cultural shift which replaces gangs with family and community is as important in cutting gun crime as a legal crackdown, Tory leader David Cameron said today.

He criticised Labour's "top-down" approach and said money should be devolved to community and voluntary groups which were making a difference to people's lives.

He also called for tax recognition for married couples and moves to chase down absent fathers, to combat the family breakdown he said was at the root of many of Britain's social problems.

"We do need some Government action today, there is no doubt about that. We need tougher laws on carrying of guns, and I support that.

"I would argue we also need a border police force to stop our porous borders being used for guns coming into the country," he told BBC Breakfast.

But he went on: "If we're really going to get to grips with this, we need a longer term cultural change, helping to strengthen families, helping to strengthen communities."

Mr Cameron said attitudes to gun carrying and absentee fathers had to be altered in the same way attitudes to drink-driving had changed.

"Let's look at what we're going to put in place of gang culture, and the first thing we need to put into place is a family culture and fathers standing by their responsibilities," he said.

Mr Cameron, who is today visiting an award-winning community project in Wythenshawe, Manchester, run by former bouncers, said that as well as Government action "we need real community leaders, not bureaucrats".

"Where these organisations exist, and all our communities have great voluntary leaders and community groups, we have got to make sure that we as politicians, nationally and locally, are devolving enough money and responsibility to these organisations so they can really grow," he said.

The Tory leader called on local and national Government to "trust" community groups to use funding wisely.

While changing laws would help the situation, he acknowledged cultural change would take a long time.

"But let's at least start the work of trying to build a Britain which has got much stronger families," he said.

Mr Cameron is today visiting the United Estates of Wythenshawe (UEW) in a deprived area of Manchester, as part of his campaign for social responsibility.

As part of a wide range of work, it uses facilities such as a gym to give gang members an alternative to being on the streets and offers good role models to boys from broken homes.

Copyright Press Association 2007.