Stats chief rebukes Keir Starmer for claiming violent crime is rising

May 19, 2021

UK statistics watchdog tells Labour leader Keir Starmer to stop claiming that violent crime is rising because it has been FALLING for the past five years and the public could be ‘alarmed by figures that do not reflect reality’

Labour leader censured by UK Statistics Authority chairman Sir David Norgrove
Starmer twice said recorded violent crime was going up, in Commons’ speeches
But Sir David said that figures showed it had been falling for the past five years

The Labour leader was censured by Sir David Norgrove, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, for claiming that violent offences have been going up under the Conservatives.

Sir Keir Starmer was given a telling off by the UK’s statistics watchdog today for attacking the Government over violent crime rates.

The Labour leader was censured by Sir David Norgrove, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, for claiming that violent offences have been going up under the Conservatives.

In a letter to the Opposition Leader Sir David said that violent crime had been falling for the past five years and cited two cases in April and earlier this month where Sir Keir had said the opposite in the Commons.

‘The risk with the statements you made is that people may be alarmed by figures that do not reflect reality, which could affect their behaviour and lead to pressure for policy changes not supported by the data,’ Sir David wrote in a letter published today.

‘I am sure you agree that this would not be desirable.’

The rebuke came after Tory Policing Minister Kit Malthouse reported his comments to the UKSA, saying ‘the public have a right not to be misled, especially with regard to a subject as emotive and important as crime’.

Sir Keir follows in the footsteps of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who was also rebuked by Sir David in December 2019 for claiming ‘violent crime has doubled under the Conservatives’ austerity programme’ at his election manifesto launch.

The two examples cited by Sir David occurred during Prime Minister’s Questions on April 28 and in his reply to the Queen’s Speech on May 11.

In the first example Sir Keir was attacking the Prime Minister over sleaze allegations.

He said: ‘The Prime Minister talks about priorities — crime is going up, NHS waiting lists are at record levels and millions of people are worried about their jobs, including at Liberty Steel. Do not the British people deserve a Prime Minister they can trust, not a Government who are mired in sleaze, cronyism and scandal?’

Later, on May 11, he repeated a similar the claim, saying: ‘Since 2015, recorded violent crime has doubled and antisocial behaviour has gone up in every area of England and Wales, yet the Conservatives call themselves the party of law and order.

‘Violent crime has doubled and antisocial behaviour is on the up in every area in England and Wales.

‘They have been in government for 11 years. And our courts now have a record backlog, meaning victims waiting years to get justice. Yet the Queen’s Speech will do nothing to address this.’

But in his letter today, Sir David wrote: ‘As the Office for National Statistics says in every release of crime statistics, and I said in a letter to your predecessor (Jeremy Corbyn), the face-to-face Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) is a better indicator of long-term trends than police recorded crime.

‘It is unaffected by changes in levels of reporting to the police or police recording practices. The CSEW shows a reduction in violent crime of 28 per cent between the year ending March 2015 and the year ending March 2020.

‘Total crime levels have been falling since the mid-1990s, including last year (though comparisons involving last year are complicated by a change in the method of collection).’

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