Idris Elba is fronting a new campaign that calls on the government to do their part in stopping the tragedy of young lives lost to knife crime. To launch the initiative, he's released "Knives Down" featuring DB Maz. The track—produced by Fraser T Smith and FaNaTiX—is a stirring call to action from the East London actor and musician, and a much-needed reminder of the scale of the problem.

Along with the DB Films-directed video, which finds Elba speaking in the House of Commons alongside some of the affected families, yesterday morning saw Idris make a powerful symbolic statement by filling Parliament Square with 279 piles of folded clothes from the victims of 2023. The release of "Knives Down" also marks the launch of Elba's Don't Stop Your Future campaign, which aims to bring the issue of serious youth violence to its rightful place at the top of the political agenda.

Speaking to press outside Parliament, Elba explained: "I can't stay silent as more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes. As school returns, too many young people will not be joining their classmates and too many grieving families have lost a young person they love in recent years. Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be met, not taken away by violence."

"Parliament has repeatedly not given this issue the focus it deserves, and our political leaders need to prioritise it now. As well as an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes, we need to give young people more of a reason not to carry a weapon in the first place. That means investing in the services that address the root causes of violent crime."