you are allowed to carry knives in the uk but you either need to have a "good reason" to be carrying, e.g. you're a chef travelling to or from work, or for everyday carry purposes they need to have a blade less than 3", fold, and have no locking mechanism.

the government is very gung-ho about knife crime, which is admittedly a problem but they are so showy about it - they're banning "ninja swords" now which have been used in approximately zero crimes