Tory woes continue as record as ‘party of law and order’ comes under attack

Figures showing arrests have halved since 2010 add to concern over plummeting prosecutions, Lizzie Dearden writes

Boris Johnson launching his police recruitment campaign in 2019

The Conservatives have long liked to call themselves “the party of law and order”, but that title is coming under attack.

After years of plummeting prosecution rates, meaning that only 6 per cent of recorded crimes in England and Wales now result in a charge, Labour is turning the spotlight on arrests.

Newly-released figures show that the number of arrests by police have halved since 2010, from 1.3 million a year to just over 600,000 in 2021.