London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

Boris Johnson wrong to claim crime has fallen, says watchdog

Boris Johnson wrong to claim crime has fallen, says watchdog

The prime minister and the Home Office have been criticised by the UK statistics watchdog for incorrectly claiming crime has fallen.

Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Boris Johnson said crime had come down by 14% since he took office.

It followed a Home Office press release last week that claimed the government "continues to cut crime".

The UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) said the prime minister "did not make clear" the figure excluded fraud.

It also said the Home Office had presented figures in a "misleading way".

The authority was responding to a complaint by the Liberal Democrats, who accused Mr Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel of "fiddling the figures".

The government has commented several times on the stats, released this week for England and Wales, which track crime for the year ending September 2021.

The figures for all crimes estimated by the Crime Survey of England and Wales in fact showed a 14% increase for the period, including a 47% rise in fraud and computer misuse as people moved their lives online during the lockdowns.

But speaking in the Commons, the prime minister said crime had fallen by 14% without mentioning that this figure did not include the rise in fraud and computer crime.

Mr Johnson made the claim while taking questions from MPs following the publication of Sue Gray's report into Downing Street parties during lockdown.

The UKSA said the Home Office press release presented the statistics "to give a positive picture of trends in crime"


Responding to the Liberal Democrats' complaint, UKSA chair Sir David Norgrove said in a letter the official statistics "quite properly" included fraud and computer misuse and the prime minister had excluded them but "did not make this clear".

"If fraud and computer misuse are counted in total crime as they should be, total crime in fact increased by 14% between the year ending September 2019 and the year ending September 2021," he wrote.

He added the Home Office press release presented the statistics "to give a positive picture of trends in crime in England and Wales".

He said the omission of fraud and computer misuse was "stated" in the release but in the title and two other places it had not been made clear crime had only fallen if these offences were not included.

Sir David also noted the Home Office had suggested the fall in other types of crime was related to the government's so-called Beating Crime Plan.

He said "it would have been helpful" if it had been made clear the Office of National Statistics actually believed falls in the relevant crime types were due to the pandemic.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: "This is a damning verdict from the official watchdog. Yet more distortions from Boris Johnson and his cabinet to play down the extent of crime.

"When the government's record on crime is so bad that both the prime minister and home secretary feel the need to fiddle the figures, it is clear we need a new approach.

"The prime minister must come before Parliament to apologise for his latest lie and set the record straight."

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain raised the issue in the Commons on Thursday, prompting deputy speaker Dame Rosie Winterton to respond: "If an error has been made I am sure the minister will seek to correct it as quickly as possible."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×