The UK has fallen down the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) to its lowest ever score as a report warned “slipping standards are being noticed on the world stage”.
Britain fell seven places to be ranked 18th in the world after a year marked by the controversy around PPE procurement and a series of breaches of the ministerial code.
It was one of only five countries to see their year-on-year scores drop by five or more points, along with Qatar, Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Oman.
The CPI is compiled by Transparency International which uses impartial surveys from experts and business leaders to rank countries by the perceived level of corruption in their public sectors.
Chief executive Daniel Bruce said the slump was a “powerful indictment of a recent decline in standards in government” that should “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 said.
“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.
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While this would not have been captured in the data, the report cites other scandals that could have informed the UK’s ranking, including allegations of Conservative donors trading cash for seats in the House of Lords.
The UK now ranks 18th alongside Belgium and Japan and behind Uruguay, Iceland and Estonia.
Denmark tops the index, while South Sudan, Syria and Somalia, all of which are embroiled in protracted conflict, remain at the bottom.
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Mr Bruce said 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 suggestions to stop the slide, including appointing an “anti-corruption champion” and better addressing conflicts of interest in government procurement contracts.
