San Francisco’s shoplifting epidemic is shocking to behold. But we shouldn’t imagine that the same couldn’t happen here. In fact, we’re well on our way. According to the British Retail Consortium, theft from stores across 10 UK cities is up by 26%. More, “incidents of violence and abuse against retail employees have almost doubled on pre-pandemic levels.”

On Tuesday, Asda Chairman Stuart Rose told LBC that “theft is a big issue. It has become decriminalised. It has become minimised. It’s actually just not seen as a crime anymore.”

In the absence of an adequate response from the authorities, retailers are beginning to take defensive measures. For instance, home furnishings company Dunelm is now locking up duvets and pillow cases in cabinets; Waitrose is offering free coffees to police officers to increase their visibility; and Tesco plans to equip staff with body cameras. 

The “progressive” response to this phenomenon isn’t quite as deranged as it is in in the US. Nevertheless, British liberals have responded as expected. A piece in the Observer is typical. You’ll never guess, but apparently it’s all the Tories’ fault: “Starving your population and then ‘cracking down’ on it for nicking baby formula or a can of soup can start to make a government look rather unreasonable.”

But as the writer ought to know, the issue here isn’t the desperate young mum hiding a few groceries in the pram. Nor is it the schoolboy pilfering the occasional bag of sweets. Rather, the real problem is blatant, organised and sometimes violent theft of higher value items. Criminals who never previously thought they could get away with it increasingly now do — thus presenting a material threat to retail as we know it. 

But instead of addressing the issue head-on, the writer blames the victim: “Once goods were kept behind counters, but since the birth of large supermarkets they have been laid out near the door, ready for the taking.” How terribly irresponsible of them! On the other hand, perhaps the open display of goods isn’t just a convenience for customers, but instead the hallmark of a high trust society. 

In fact, modern shops are a minor miracle of civilisation: public spaces, stacked high with products from all over the world, that passing strangers may freely inspect and handle, but which aren’t looted by anyone who feels like it.

Surely, that’s something worth defending. But if you’d prefer to abandon retailers to their fate, then don’t moan when they do what it takes to survive. Some will close, of course, and others will move their operations online. Those who stay open will guard themselves and their stock behind plexiglass and electronic tags. And then there’s the hi-tech solution: the fully automated and completely cashless store, in which customers have to be authenticated to even get in. 

Remember that retail facilities like this already exist. One day, when they become the norm, we’ll remember what shops used to be like. Then, we’ll ask why no one stood up for them.

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Peter Franklin is Associate Editor of UnHerd. He was previously a policy advisor and speechwriter on environmental and social issues.

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US House Speaker Mike Johnson has said that the UK needs “secure borders” to “defend the security of the Western world” in partnership with the US.

On a visit to the UK, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives told the House of Commons this morning that in order for both countries to defend shared interests, borders would need to be secured. He also said that there would need to be “serious investments in our shared defense”, as well as “maintaining strategic strongholds around the world”.

High-ranking American politicians have been critical of Britain’s handling of immigration, most notably Donald Trump, who has suggested that Keir Starmer needs to “deploy military” personnel to stop the small boats crisis. He has broadened his critique to include the whole of Europe, saying last year: “on immigration, you better get your act together.”

Johnson was speaking in the wake of escalating tensions between the US and Europe, as Trump grows more aggressive in his attempts to acquire Greenland. Over the weekend, the US President announced that he would place tariffs on European countries, including the UK, until Greenland was part of America, a move which Starmer called “completely wrong”.

This morning, Johnson attempted to reassure MPs by saying that America and Britain would “face and overcome together the challenges of our present today”, while also saying Starmer’s speech in response to the tariffs was “well done” and achieved “the right message and right tone”. He then warned of the threats posed by America and Britain’s mutual enemies, saying that “China, Russia and Iran are growing more emboldened.”

However, Johnson went on to say that Trump was “taking the threat of Russia and China in the Arctic seriously”. He added that “a strong America is good for the entire world.”

Last night, the US Speaker appeared on Nigel Farage’s GB News show, where the Reform UK leader told Johnson that Trump’s comments risked damaging ties between America and Nato allies. Farage expanded by saying that “to have a US president threatening tariffs unless we agree that he can take over Greenland” is a “very hostile act”.

In response, Johnson said that Trump has a “certain manner” in doing things, while accusing the American media of taking statements that the US President makes “always literally” and not seriously.