Fearing a voter backlash over public safety, U.K. Conservatives are belatedly cracking down on violence involving sharp instruments.
While some British politicians tout the politically favorable claim that violent crime has fallen 38 percent since 2010, new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) depicts a rather different and darker situation. The figures show that the number of people killed with knives in England and Wales in 2021 and 2022 was the highest since record-keeping began, 77 years ago. Across England and Wales, the number of knife offenses has increased by 34 percent since 2010. Now, 40 percent of all homicides involve a knife or sharp instrument.
