The publication of findings from the public inquiry into the infected blood scandal has once again placed the United Kingdom’s institutional integrity under harsh scrutiny. This scandal, which saw contaminated blood products cause the deaths of thousands and adversely affect the lives of many more, is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader pattern of systemic failures and institutional betrayals that suggest Britain, at an institutional level, is a failing state.

The infected blood scandal has its roots in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the UK imported blood products from the United States. These products, intended for patients needing transfusions or blood products like clotting factors, were contaminated with HIV and Hepatitis C. The blood was sourced from high-risk populations, including prisoners and drug addicts, who sold their blood for money. The consequences were devastating: over 30,000 people were infected, and around 3,000 have died as a result.

Despite mounting evidence and suffering, officials repeatedly assured patients they had received the best possible treatment, denied any wrongdoing, and destroyed crucial records. When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently apologized, describing it as “a day of shame for the British state,” his words rang hollow for many. The scandal is emblematic of a broader institutional........

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