Scotland Faces Knife Crime Surge Amid Funding Cuts to Prevention Program

London, United Kingdom Aug 28, 2026 ALN: John Swinney has been urged to intervene over a Scottish knife crime crisis as new analysis shows use of blades in crimes is at its highest for eight years.

It comes amid growing concern about a one-third cut in funding for the No Knives, Better Lives programme, which works with young people on preventing knife carrying and violence.

Official analysis seen by The Herald shows offences involving a blade or pointed weapon being used in another crime have risen by 44%, from 1,595 in 2017-18 to 2,299 last year. The latest figure was also up eight percent in a single year.

There was also a 14% rise in offences involving a blade or pointed weapon being carried in a public place but not used in another crime, from 2,140 in 2017-18 to 2,443 in 2025-26.

Both offences are at their highest level since 2017-18, according to the Scottish Government's recorded crime figures.

Labour MSP and former shadow minister for community safety, Katy Clark has now called for action to prevent knife crime in a call to the First Minister to reverse an apparent cut to funding for No Knives, Better Lives, which she says could damage work aimed at keeping young people away from violence and weapons.

The rise comes despite the Scottish Government's Violence Prevention Framework, launched in May 2023 and backed by more than £6 million over three years. One of its specific actions was to target weapon carrying among some young people and older people with histories of violence.

It was expected to bring together youth workers, police, health professionals and other organisations to target the causes of violence and work with people considered at greater risk of becoming involved. On knife crime specifically, the framework includes work aimed at preventing young people from carrying weapons, as well as targeted support for older people with a history of knife carrying.

Last year the First Minister hosted a summit on reducing youth violence across Scotland in a bid to prevent knife crime.

It came as Glasgow hosted a march against knife crime, Parents Against Knives, organised by the family of Kory McCrimmon, 16, who died after he was stabbed in a park in Glasgow’s east end on May 21, 2024.

In a letter sent to First Minister John Swinney, Ms. Clark said: “The First Minister must urgently step in to reverse the decision to cut funding that could have a serious impact on public safety.”

Last month Cole Turley, 18, was jailed for a minimum of 16 years after pleading guilty to the murder of Kayden Moy in a knife attack on Irvine Beach in May 2025.

The teenager is appealing his life sentence.

Ms. Clark added: “In light of the increase in the number of knife attacks and the death of Kayden Moy at Irvine beach, we need to be putting more resources into protective work and education to stop knife carrying, not making massive cuts in this work.”

Scottish Government funding for No Knives, Better Lives has been cut by £144,060 (32.23%), from £447,000 in 2025-26 to £302,940 this year, according to official correspondence seen by The Herald.

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The previous funding included £297,000 for the Violence Prevention Framework and £150,000 for a pilot involving youth organisations in areas affected by youth violence and knife carrying.

The West Scotland region MSP's letter to the First Minister said he should veto the cut as one of his first acts when parliament returns after the summer break. She told The Herald: "The First Minister must urgently step in to reverse the decision to cut funding that could have a serious impact on public safety.

“In light of the increase in the number of knife attacks, we need to be putting more resources into protective work and education to stop knife carrying, not making massive cuts in this work.

"No Knives, Better Lives needs more funding not less given the ongoing threat our communities face from knife crime.

Katy Clark. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

"The First Minister must do the right thing and abandon the cut.

"Instead, there must be an increase in financial support for the programme and other preventative work to stop knife crime.

"There’s still time for the government to see sense, and John Swinney should announce this cut is not going ahead on the day that parliament returns."

The programme, delivered by YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work in Scotland, was established in 2009 in response to concerns over knife crime and has included work in schools, youth projects and campaigns designed to discourage young people from carrying weapons.

It has since focused on education, prevention and early intervention, working with young people through schools, youth organisations and community projects.

A 2019 report marking its tenth anniversary said the programme had reached an estimated 100,000 young people over its first decade. It also said Balisong, a knife-carrying prevention programme delivered in schools, had been seen by more than 20,000 young people.

In her letter, Ms. Clark told the First Minister the funding cut “could have a detrimental impact on the good work being undertaken by pilot projects and other initiatives to tackle knife crime among young people across the country".

She argues that the funding decision comes despite warnings from a range of groups that more money was needed for prevention work. She said there had been warnings from MSPs, councils, campaigners and families affected by knife crime that funding for No Knives, Better Lives should be increased.

She singled out North Ayrshire, where projects are operating in Ardrossan, Irvine, Saltcoats and Stevenston, saying they were undertaking what she described as “vital work on violence and weapon prevention.”

The MSP also framed the issue as one requiring action across Scotland rather than solely in areas where individual incidents have taken place.
In the letter, she said: “I am sure you will agree that we must take whatever steps we can to tackle knife crime among our young people” before asking the First Minister to outline what action he would take to ensure the programme “urgently receives a real-terms increase in its funding.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.