Drink spiking to be made criminal offence as Starmer pledges crackdown on violence against women

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. During a meeting with police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street on Monday morning, the prime minister said he hoped the measures would give people “the confidence to come forward”. open image in gallery Sir Keir laid out the measures during a meeting with police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street on Monday morning The party pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime – however, Sir Keir reaffirmed his commitment on Monday, saying: “My government was elected on a pledge to take back our streets, and we will never achieve this if women and girls do not feel safe at night.” He added: “Cracking down on spiking is central to that mission. Sir Keir added: “At the moment it’s quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers.” Labour says the proposals are part of the party’s promise to halve VAWG in the next decade – although home secretary Yvette Cooper did admit the pledge is “ambitious” and that the government has not worked out how to measure their progress as she laid out a string of reforms to overhaul policing at an annual summit with police chiefs last Tuesday. open image in gallery Home secretary Yvette Cooper described spiking as a ‘disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims’ Chief constable Lucy D’Orsi of British Transport Police will highlight the relaunch of the text-to-report number, 61016, which is free across all major networks and invites women to contact the force for help in the event of harassment on the train.