Donald Trump’s attack on Sadiq Khan for not preventing recent knife deaths in London (Trump hits out at Khan again over stabbings in London, 17 June) was neither appropriate nor fair.

As a clinical psychologist working with young people in Tower Hamlets, east London, I see so much of their hope, potential and optimism extinguished by the grinding reality of lack of proper educational opportunities, lack of job prospects and genuine bewilderment about why some people have so much money while they, and their families, cannot afford to eat.

Funding cuts and wealth inequality have been directly associated with increases in knife crime over the last decade. When hope dies and basic needs cannot be met, the perceived benefits of gang membership (money, identity and purpose) outweigh the consequences (being asked to carry out knife attacks, risking prison and death).

Khan is addressing these causes of knife crime directly, creating the Violence Reduction Unit to take a public health approach to knife crime, establishing the Young Londoners Fund to support services for young people and championing fair housing measures such as community land trusts to reduce wealth inequality. With his progressive, thoughtful and caring policies, I would have more confidence in Khan to successfully reduce knife crime than Trump, whose only mission (and only example to young people) seems to be to create division, run down public services and maximise wealth inequality.

Dr Jeremy Oliver

Clinical psychologist, London

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