Alarming audit figures lead This Writer to ask: is growing violence against women and girls the Tory legacy?
The National Audit Office is telling us that the Home Office’s response to the “serious and growing problem” of violence against women and girls (VAWG) has been ineffective.
A report published on January 31, 2025, said the department had “not led an effective whole-system response” to the rising incidence of rape and sexual assault recorded by police.
And it said efforts as the lead on the government’s response to VAWG have so far “not improved outcomes” for victims.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
The figures refer to the financial year 2023-24, when the Conservatives were still in office, and show an increase in the percentage of women aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales who have suffered a sexual assault – to 4.3 per cent, up from 3.4 per cent in 2009-10.
Incidents of rape and sexual assault recorded by police had increased almost fourfold during the same period, from 34,000 to 123,000 – but this could be partially explained by improved recording of these crimes.
In 2021, under the previous Conservative government, the department created a dedicated team to lead VAWG strategy.
According to the BBC, though,
The NAO also found “little evidence” that the Home Office had improved on earlier strategies, while the department and the wider government had “a poor understanding of what works to prevent and tackle VAWG”.
The report added that as part of the 2021 strategy, at least £4.2m had been spent on research into preventing VAWG, but the projects it funded were “yet to provide insights to inform any future interventions”.
The report noted that “low charge rate and long wait times” contributed to a considerable number of rape victims dropping out before cases reached a conviction.
Meanwhile, only a minority of domestic abuse cases recorded by police led to charges, the NAO said.
The NAO said the Home Office “found it challenging to get buy-in from other government departments” and had a “limited understanding” of the extent of resources devoted to addressing VAWG across government.
Its dedicated team did not meet until a year after the launch, the NAO found, and had only met four times in total.
The report’s findings get worse and worse. It said the Home Office “does not know what effect the government’s work is having on VAWG”.
It continued: “The lack of an effective, cross-government approach and a limited understanding of what works to help reduce these crimes, means the Home Office cannot be confident that government is doing the best it can to keep women and girls safe.”
Labour has pledged to halve VAWG within a decade – but the report warned that to meet this target the Home Office would need to “lead a coordinated, whole-system response that addresses the causes of VAWG”.
Do you think that’s going to happen?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Is growing violence against women and girls the Tory legacy?
Alarming audit figures lead This Writer to ask: is growing violence against women and girls the Tory legacy?
The National Audit Office is telling us that the Home Office’s response to the “serious and growing problem” of violence against women and girls (VAWG) has been ineffective.
A report published on January 31, 2025, said the department had “not led an effective whole-system response” to the rising incidence of rape and sexual assault recorded by police.
And it said efforts as the lead on the government’s response to VAWG have so far “not improved outcomes” for victims.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
The figures refer to the financial year 2023-24, when the Conservatives were still in office, and show an increase in the percentage of women aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales who have suffered a sexual assault – to 4.3 per cent, up from 3.4 per cent in 2009-10.
Incidents of rape and sexual assault recorded by police had increased almost fourfold during the same period, from 34,000 to 123,000 – but this could be partially explained by improved recording of these crimes.
In 2021, under the previous Conservative government, the department created a dedicated team to lead VAWG strategy.
According to the BBC, though,
The report’s findings get worse and worse. It said the Home Office “does not know what effect the government’s work is having on VAWG”.
It continued: “The lack of an effective, cross-government approach and a limited understanding of what works to help reduce these crimes, means the Home Office cannot be confident that government is doing the best it can to keep women and girls safe.”
Labour has pledged to halve VAWG within a decade – but the report warned that to meet this target the Home Office would need to “lead a coordinated, whole-system response that addresses the causes of VAWG”.
Do you think that’s going to happen?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
you might also like
Police State Britain: Tories would arrest you for looking at them in a funny way
Foiled! Lords veto Coalition bid to make being ‘annoying’ an arrestable offence
Three cheers for free speech!