Summary:
- Nigel Farage of Reform UK has announced a £17.4 billion plan to halve crime rates in the UK within five years, focusing on overhauling criminal justice policies.
- The plan includes recruiting 30,000 additional police officers, expanding prison spaces by 30,000, and deporting foreign criminals.
- Reform UK intends to finance this plan by cutting major government projects, including the HS2 rail project and net zero climate policies, without raising taxes.
- The announcement marks the start of Reform UK’s “Lawless Britain” campaign, aiming to position the party as a leader in law and order.
- The plan has faced criticism for lacking credibility and detail, particularly regarding its feasibility and financial viability.
- The policy announcement coincides with national issues like overcrowded prisons and staffing shortages, and Reform UK is currently leading in national polls.
Amid rising concerns over public safety and confidence in the justice system, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has unveiled a sweeping £17.4 billion plan to halve crime rates in the United Kingdom within five years, should his party come to power. Describing the initiative as a response to what he called “societal collapse” in parts of the country, Farage laid out proposals for a radical overhaul of criminal justice policies, including mass deportations of foreign offenders, expansion of the prison estate and a significant increase in police recruitment.
Speaking Monday at a campaign event in the West Midlands, Farage said the public was “crying out for law and order” and that his party would deliver what others had failed to achieve. “The basic function of the state is to protect its people,” he stated. “The British state today is not doing that. We will.”
At the centre of the plan is a pledge to recruit 30,000 additional police officers across England and Wales, reversing what Farage described as “years of managed decline” in frontline policing. The party also proposes the creation of 30,000 new prison places, which it says will be used to end the practice of early release for violent and sexual offenders.
A notable and controversial aspect of the policy is the commitment to deport all foreign criminals to their countries of origin. Farage revealed that Reform UK has opened discussions with Albania and is exploring similar agreements with other governments. In cases where deportation cannot be immediately arranged, Farage said his party would pursue international deals to send prisoners abroad. One such option includes a proposed arrangement with El Salvador, where UK prisoners could serve sentences in specially leased facilities at an estimated annual cost of £250 million.
The measures extend beyond incarceration. Reform’s platform includes adopting a zero-tolerance approach to shoplifting, as well as expanding stop-and-search powers in communities affected by knife crime. Farage also criticised what he called a “two-tier justice system” and pledged to standardise sentencing and prosecution, though specifics on those reforms remain unclear.
When questioned about the feasibility of the £17.4 billion price tag, Farage insisted the plan would be fully funded without increasing taxes. The money, he said, would come from scaling back major government spending initiatives, including cancelling the remaining stages of the High-Speed 2 rail project, axing net zero climate policies, halving the UK’s foreign aid budget and reducing the size of the civil service.
Reform’s announcement comes as the party gains momentum in national polls, currently leading Labour by six percentage points and ahead of the Conservatives by twelve. The “tough on crime” message marks the launch of a six-week campaign termed “Lawless Britain,” designed to position Reform UK as the party of security and order.
Background:
Here is how this event developed over time:
- June 11, 2024 – Nigel Farage held a press conference in Westminster unveiling Reform UK’s plan to halve crime in the UK over five years if elected to government.
- June 11, 2024 – Farage announced the plan’s estimated cost at £17.4 billion over five years (£3.48 billion annually), to be funded by cutting projects like HS2 and net zero policies.
- June 11, 2024 – Reform UK proposed recruiting 30,000 additional police officers and creating an equal number of new prison places to end early release for violent and sexual offenders.
- June 11, 2024 – Farage revealed proposed deportation measures for foreign criminals, including a reported agreement with Albania and the idea of sending violent offenders to El Salvador.
- June 11, 2024 – The plan also includes mandatory jail time for assaults on emergency workers, increased stop-and-search powers in knife crime areas, and a zero-tolerance stance on shoplifting.
- June 11, 2024 – Labour’s Ellie Reeves criticized the proposal as “headline-chasing,” citing that Reform MPs previously voted against Labour’s Crime and Policing Bill.
- June 11, 2024 – The announcement marked the start of Reform UK’s six-week campaign focusing on law and order before Parliament’s summer recess.
- Throughout 2024 – Crime data showed falling football-related arrests in England and Wales and a modest number of homicides in London compared to US cities.