Is Britain “lawless”? Crime and the “Britain is broken” narrative
Claim: Nigel Farage and Reform UK say Britain is “broken” and “lawless”, with crime spiralling out of control.
Verdict: ⚠️ Misleading / Exaggerated
Last updated: 5 December 2025.
The idea that Britain is descending into “lawlessness” has become a major theme in political messaging, campaign speeches and commentary. Nigel Farage frequently claims that crime is “out of control” and that the country is on the brink of a breakdown in public order. These statements resonate with voters concerned about policing, courts, or visible disorder. But the evidence paints a more complicated picture than the sweeping narrative suggests.
Crime trends in England and Wales are best assessed through the Office for National Statistics’ Crime Survey, which captures both reported and unreported offences. Police-recorded data also provide insight, though changes in recording practices must be considered. The most recent figures, for the year ending June 2025, show declines in several traditional crime categories. Robbery was lower than the previous year and below pre-pandemic levels. Incidents of criminal damage also fell. Burglary and most types of household theft remain well below the levels recorded in the 1990s and 2000s.
These improvements do not mean that the situation is uniformly positive. Crime is not a single trend; different offences behave differently over time. Fraud continues to rise sharply. The latest ONS estimate of 4.1 million fraud incidents highlights the scale of modern online crime. The majority of these incidents involve financial deception, phishing and unauthorised transactions. Because fraud often occurs digitally and across borders, many victims struggle to obtain support or justice, reinforcing the feeling that criminals act with impunity.
Sexual offences present another worrying trend. Police recorded more than 200,000 sexual offences in the year to March 2025, representing an increase on the previous year. Importantly, the ONS notes that better reporting and improved recording practices have contributed to the rise. While these factors make interpretation more complex, they also demonstrate that more victims are willing to come forward. Nevertheless, the scale of offending remains significant, and prosecution rates are strikingly low compared with other crime categories.
These realities fuel public frustration, particularly when combined with stories of long delays in court cases, low conviction rates and high-profile failures in investigations. Some communities experience persistent anti-social behaviour and violent incidents, which further strengthens perceptions that conditions are worsening. These localised issues are very real and deserve policy attention, but they do not amount to nationwide lawlessness.
Claims that Britain is “lawless” imply systemic collapse: that the police no longer respond effectively to crime, that courts are unable to operate and that victims are left entirely without protection. This is not supported by the data. The justice system is under severe pressure, but it continues to function. Many high-volume crimes remain historically low. Most people do not experience victimisation in a given year. Public order, while strained, has not broken down.
There is an important distinction between a system facing substantial challenges and a country without the rule of law. Britain is not experiencing uniform increases across all crime categories. Instead, it faces a combination of long-term reductions in some offences, increases in others, and persistent problems in dealing with complex crime types such as sexual violence, online offending and fraud. None of these justify describing the nation as lawless.
The political appeal of dramatic language is clear: it captures attention and frames debates in stark terms. But exaggerating crime trends can undermine trust in official statistics and distort public understanding. It may also risk discouraging victims from reporting offences if they believe the system is beyond repair. Policymakers, campaigners and commentators all have a responsibility to present crime data accurately, especially when discussing sensitive categories.
There remain areas where the “broken” narrative has grounding. Many victims of sexual violence do not receive justice. Fraud overwhelms current enforcement capacity. Prison overcrowding and court delays erode confidence. These issues call for significant reform and investment. Acknowledging them does not require declaring the entire country lawless.
Overall, the claim that Britain is “lawless” is exaggerated. Some types of crime are rising, others falling, and the system struggles in key areas. The evidence does not show a collapse of public order or a generalised surge across all offences. The narrative oversimplifies a complex reality and risks misleading the public.
Sources:
ONS – Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2025
ONS – Sexual offences overview: year ending March 2025
Ministry of Justice – Criminal justice outcomes