04.12.2013
In the 2013 Index, the UK has been ranked 14th with a score of 76 out of 100, which marks a leap of three places from 12 months ago.
According to Transparency International, political scandals have impacted on public trust in the UK’s political system but steps forward have been seen in recent years with the introduction of the Bribery Act and the Government’s commitment to coordinating anti-corruption activity across its departments.
However, Robert Barrington, executive director of Transparency International UK, warned that the coming months may be difficult for the UK to build up further momentum.
He explained: “The UK should be aspiring to achieve a place in the top ten, but there is a risk it will slip down the ranking.
“We see two principle vulnerabilities in the UK – continued scandals related to politics and parliamentary ethics, and the removal of key corruption defences as outlined in our recent report on local government corruption.”
Top countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013:
• Denmark
• New Zealand
• Finland
• Sweden
• Norway
• Singapore
• Switzerland
• Netherlands
• Australia
• Canada
• Luxembourg
• Germany
• Iceland
• United Kingdom
Transparency International Releases Latest Research
The UK has improved its ranking and score on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, which examines the progress being made by more than 170 countries in tackling bribery and other illegal activities.In the 2013 Index, the UK has been ranked 14th with a score of 76 out of 100, which marks a leap of three places from 12 months ago.
According to Transparency International, political scandals have impacted on public trust in the UK’s political system but steps forward have been seen in recent years with the introduction of the Bribery Act and the Government’s commitment to coordinating anti-corruption activity across its departments.
However, Robert Barrington, executive director of Transparency International UK, warned that the coming months may be difficult for the UK to build up further momentum.
He explained: “The UK should be aspiring to achieve a place in the top ten, but there is a risk it will slip down the ranking.
“We see two principle vulnerabilities in the UK – continued scandals related to politics and parliamentary ethics, and the removal of key corruption defences as outlined in our recent report on local government corruption.”
Top countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013:
• Denmark
• New Zealand
• Finland
• Sweden
• Norway
• Singapore
• Switzerland
• Netherlands
• Australia
• Canada
• Luxembourg
• Germany
• Iceland
• United Kingdom
Expert Opinion
Notwithstanding this, critics of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index suggest that reliance on ‘perception’ has the potential to paint an unrealistic and misleading picture of global corruption and bribery as opposed to a report based on hard empirical evidence. In response, Transparency International has often stated ‘there is no meaningful way to assess absolute levels of corruption in countries or territories on the basis of hard empirical data’. <br/> <br/>“Whatever the true position as to actual levels of corruption within the countries reviewed, the perception as to the levels is clearly something that responsible businesses will consider when conducting international trade and this report continues to provide a useful high level overview of global corruption. <br/> <br/>“It is clearly in the interest of the UK to ensure that its businesses are not only safe trading partners but are also seen as such. This will only happen through a concerted effort to ensure the UK’s position as a leader in the fight against corruption – and the responsibility for that rests with both the government and business.” <br/> <br/>
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