Pledge: halve knife crime in a decade, to 26,998 by 31 Mar 2034. Starting from 53,995 in the year to Mar 2024, the straight path needed 47,926 by now.

What it means: police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, in England and Wales. The government has not published a fixed baseline, so this uses the last full year before the pledge. A falling line is good.

Source: ONS, Crime in England and Wales, appendix table B5, including homicide.