Britain Is No Longer a High Trust Society — And We’re All Paying the Price
Britain was once the gold standard of a high trust society. People believed in the police, relied on institutions, and saw aspiration as something to be admired, not resented. The idea that you could better your circumstances through hard work was woven into the national identity. That ethos is now unravelling. Across the UK, public trust in institutions has collapsed, crime is often met with indifference, and aspiration is increasingly viewed through the lens of suspicion rather than admiration.
From unchecked lawlessness to ideological governance and punitive taxation, Britain is rapidly drifting away from its traditions of common sense, fairness, and individual responsibility. In its place is a creeping culture of envy, decline, and managed mediocrity.
The first and most obvious sign of a collapsing high trust society is visible crime that goes unpunished. Shoplifting, theft, and antisocial behaviour are now rampant, particularly in urban areas. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shoplifting incidents in England and Wales hit a record 402,482 offences in the year ending September 2023, a staggering 32% increase on the previous year. Yet only a small fraction of these incidents result in charges or convictions. ONS, 2024
Retailers such as John Lewis, Tesco, and the Co-op have publicly decried the situation, with many resorting to private security firms because police often refuse to attend or investigate. In one case reported by the BBC, Co-op executives claimed police failed to respond to over 70% of serious retail crimes in their stores, even when staff were threatened. BBC News, 2023
This kind of lawlessness breeds more crime. The principle is simple: when rules are not enforced, more people break them. There is no deterrent. What we are witnessing is the “Broken Windows” theory in action: a criminological concept which argues that visible signs of disorder invite further disorder and more serious crime. Once crime becomes normalised, it is very difficult to reverse.
Despite the growing epidemic of real-world crime, police forces across the country have dedicated disproportionate resources to what many see as the policing of “wrongthink”. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of “non-crime hate incidents” (NCHIs) have been recorded — incidents in which no law was broken, but someone felt “offended”, “insulted” or “alarmed”.
Between 2014 and 2019, nearly 120,000 NCHIs were logged by police in England and Wales. These records can be included on DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, affecting employment and public life. In the most infamous case, Harry Miller, a former police officer, was investigated by Humberside Police for sharing a tweet critical of gender ideology. While no crime was committed, officers told him they were checking his “thinking”. A High Court ruling later found the force had acted unlawfully. BBC News, 2021
This kind of ideological policing is deeply corrosive to a free and open society. When law enforcement prioritises emotional offence over property crime, the balance of justice is lost. A civil society cannot function when the definition of harm becomes entirely subjective.
In response to growing public outrage, the College of Policing issued new guidance in 2023 limiting the use of NCHIs, stating that police must consider free speech rights before recording such incidents. However, the cultural damage has already been done. The police are no longer seen as impartial enforcers of the law, but increasingly as ideological actors. College of Policing, 2023
Parallel to the decline in enforcement is a growing resentment of success, particularly from political actors who frame prosperity as inherently unfair. This is most evident in the politics of envy, now a mainstay of British left-wing discourse.
Rather than celebrating achievement, this worldview sees affluence as something to be redistributed or taxed, not replicated. This attitude is not just morally corrosive — it is economically destructive. Wealth is not static; it is created. Yet under current political discourse, those who build businesses, generate employment or succeed through innovation are often treated as if they owe a moral debt to society.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has done little to dispel this impression. While Labour publicly supports growth and business, their proposals have centred on increased taxation, a rollback of non-domicile tax status, and vague commitments to “fairness” that lack any compelling pro-enterprise vision. Labour’s 2023 party conference offered no concrete roadmap for increasing UK competitiveness, and no clear incentives for entrepreneurship.
Aspiration used to be a central pillar of British politics. Today, that pillar is crumbling. In its place is a political class that increasingly promises to manage decline rather than reverse it.
Britain was once a place where people believed that their children would do better than they had. That belief has withered. Today’s younger generations are told they may never afford a home, never retire, and never out-earn their parents. The sense of national optimism that fuelled the post-war era and entrepreneurial surges of the 1980s has vanished.
Government after government, both Conservative and Labour have failed to foster an economy built on innovation, investment and upward mobility. Instead, the public is offered rent caps, windfall taxes, and economic slogans. Political leaders rarely speak about excellence, growth or merit. There is little encouragement to build, to innovate, or to aspire.
Countries like Singapore, Monaco, and Dubai provide useful contrasts. These nations are thriving because they understand the fundamental connection between law enforcement, economic freedom, and national confidence.
Singapore has a crime index of just 22.6, compared with the UK’s 48.28. Its GDP per capita exceeds $90,000. The country enforces laws strictly and maintains low income tax rates to encourage enterprise. Citizens and businesses operate in a culture of high expectations and personal responsibility. Numbeo, 2025, World Bank, 2023, IRAS, 2025
Monaco has a GDP per capita over $250,000, one of the highest in the world. It levies no personal income tax, which has attracted a highly skilled and affluent population. The result is a safe, orderly and economically vibrant microstate. World Bank, 2023, Euronews, 2024
Dubai boasts one of the lowest crime rates globally. The UAE levies no personal income tax and recently introduced a modest 9% corporate tax. Public order is rigorously enforced, and the city has become a hub for international business, innovation, and investment. Numbeo, 2025, DLA Piper, 2023
To reverse its decline, Britain must adopt a clearer, firmer model of governance and aspiration:
Restore the Rule of Law: Prioritise visible policing, reintroduce consequences for crimes like theft and antisocial behaviour, and abandon policing based on subjective offence.
Reform Taxation: Simplify and reduce tax burdens on individuals and businesses to foster growth and attract talent.
Celebrate Aspiration: Change the narrative from redistribution to opportunity. Reinstate policies that reward initiative, innovation, and success.
Learn from Success Stories: Study governance models in Singapore, Dubai and Monaco and adapt their principles of order, incentive and investment to suit British society.
Further Reading and Sources:
Office for National Statistics (2024), “Crime in England and Wales: year ending September 2023”
BBC News (2023), “Co-op warns rising crime could create 'no-go' areas for shops”
BBC News (2021), “Harry Miller: Legal victory after alleged transphobic tweets”
College of Policing (2023), “New Code and guidance for non-crime hate incidents”
World Bank (2023), “GDP per capita (current US$) - Singapore”
