Stuart Anderson MP has urged the government to strengthen sentences against perpetrators of domestic abuse and ensure they are swiftly brought to justice.
Stuart's intervention preceded the publication of the Government's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, which he has said has come "far too late" for many victims.
Despite promising to publish its strategy on three separate occasions, the government repeatedly failed to do so in the timeframe it had set out.
The government had previously promised to publish its strategy before the end of 2024, before the Summer of 2025, and in September 2025.
Stuart has said that survivors and women deserve better than false promises and urged Ministers to ensure the perpetrators of these crimes are promptly caught and punished.
The published strategy pledges to halve domestic abuse over the next decade. However, campaigners have said that the funding “falls seriously short” of what is required.
Responding to the announcement, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England Nicole Jacobs said:
“There is still no long-term sustainable funding for specialist services to ensure victims can actually access support in their area, despite the fact many of these measures will likely drive up referrals.”
Since his election, Stuart has sadly met residents - women and girls - who have suffered extreme violence and sexual assault at the hands of abusers.
As part of his commitment to supporting local communities, Stuart has vowed to champion their needs and concerns at all levels of government.
It comes as data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales has shown that sexual offences, rape, stalking, and harassment have all increased by between 5% and 9% under this Government.
At the same time, the number of police officers has fallen over the year. As of 31 March 2025, there were 1,316 fewer police officers compared to March 2024.
By contrast, 147,746 officers were in post as of March 2024. This was the highest number of officers since records began in 2003.
To combat these cuts, the Conservative Party has announced plans to recruit an extra 10,000 police officers over three years. This would be backed by £800 million of annual funding.
Under the previous government, the landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021 was passed. It created a legal definition of domestic abuse.
This included the fact that abuse can be financial, verbal, and emotional, as well as physical and sexual. It also recognised that abuse can take place in patterns over time.
In Parliament, Stuart asked:
"I have unfortunately met constituents—women and girls—who have suffered extreme violence and sexual assault, and I have seen at first hand the devastating impact that it has on them. They have said to me that they want tougher sentences and that they want this issue dealt with, because it is destroying lives. Can the Minister confirm to women and girls across South Shropshire that the strategy will deliver for them?"
In response, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said:
"I will absolutely promise this to the women across the hon. Member’s constituency, and all the constituencies represented in this Chamber—the idea that a piece of paper written by any Government will suddenly, overnight, make those women safe would be a lie, and I am not willing to do that. It is going to take a huge effort and a lot of work over a good many years to undo the culturally unacceptable situation that his constituents have been faced with. So what I will say is that the intention of the strategy is that, wherever a woman comes forward—whether to the police, health services or social services—and also wherever their perpetrator presents, it is dealt with by the state, because for too long victims have been left to just deal with it on their own."
After his intervention, Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Domestic abuse is a truly devastating crime that ruins too many lives. In South Shropshire, I have sadly met residents - women and girls - who have suffered extreme violence and sexual assault at the hands of abusers. Sadly, Labour's plans have come far too late for many of these victims. It was deeply concerning that Home Office Ministers promised to publish their Strategy on three separate occasions, but repeatedly failed to do so. Survivors and women deserve much better than broken promises. At the same time, the number of police officers has fallen under Labour. Ministers must now invest the resources to ensure that the perpetrators of these awful crimes are quickly caught and punished. It should also adopt our plan to restore law and order in our country and keep women and girls safe with more police on the streets, tougher enforcement in crime hotspots, and the full use of technology to catch these dangerous offenders."
