Corruption_in_the_United_Kingdom
Transparency International defines corruption as "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain".[1] Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored the United Kingdom at 71 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, the United Kingdom ranked 20th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.[2] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11 (ranked 180).[3] For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Western European and European Union countries [Note 1] was 90, the average score was 65 and the lowest score was 42. The United Kingdom's score has fallen six points over the last five years and is now at its lowest point in the twelve years that the current version of the Index has been published.[4]
The United Kingdom currently has numerous laws that punish civil servants for bribery and other forms of corruption, with the Bribery Act 2010 currently the most relevant.[5] There has also been criticism from newspaper columnists.[6][7] This has largely been because of the UK's fall from the top 10 in the CPI.[8][9][10]
The Bribery Act 2010 is currently the most relevant law in the United Kingdom that punishes public and private bribery. The law does not make any distinction in sentencing between those who bribe (or are bribed) in the public or private sector.[5]
