The UK has fallen down the worldwide Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) to its lowest ever rating as a report warned “slipping standards are being noticed on the world stage”.
Britain fell seven locations to be ranked 18th on this planet after a yr marked by the controversy round PPE procurement and a collection of breaches of the ministerial code.
It was one among solely 5 international locations to see their year-on-year scores drop by 5 or extra factors, together with Qatar, Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Oman.
The CPI is compiled by Transparency International which makes use of neutral surveys from specialists and enterprise leaders to rank international locations by the perceived stage of corruption of their public sectors.
Chief government Daniel Bruce stated the droop was a “powerful indictment of a recent decline in standards in government” that ought to “set alarm bells ringing in Downing Street”.
“The underlying data clearly indicate that business executives and other experts are concerned about insufficient controls on the abuse of public office and increasingly view corruption and bribery as a real issue in Britain,” he stated.
“This is the strongest signal yet that slipping standards are being noticed on the world stage.”
The report comes days after Rishi Sunak sacked Nadhim Zahawi as chairman of the Conservative Party after a row over his tax affairs.
While this may not have been captured within the information, the report cites different scandals that would have knowledgeable the UK’s rating, together with allegations of Conservative donors buying and selling money for seats within the House of Lords.
The UK now ranks 18th alongside Belgium and Japan and behind Uruguay, Iceland and Estonia.
Denmark tops the index, whereas South Sudan, Syria and Somalia, all of that are embroiled in protracted battle, stay on the backside.
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Mr Bruce stated reversing the UK’s decline will demand “comprehensive action” to fulfil the prime minister’s “commitment to lead a government of integrity and accountability”.
Transparency International laid out strategies to cease the slide, together with appointing an “anti-corruption champion” and higher addressing conflicts of curiosity in authorities procurement contracts.
Source: information.sky.com”