Britain’s defence industry has quietly embedded itself in Westminster’s political circles, donating nearly £180,000 to military-linked All-Party Parliamentary Groups between 2023 and 2025, reinforcing the arms sector’s influence over parliamentary debate and policy formation.

In 2024, Greater London recorded 102 homicides, with knife crime still the leading cause of death but shootings on the rise and a worrying surge in teenage offenders. Black individuals remained disproportionately affected as both victims and suspects, and the City of Westminster, along with several East London boroughs, emerged as new hotspots for lethal violence.

The line between public service and private profit in defence is growing dangerously thin.