‘The fact that London has again been crowned greatest city in the world disproves everything our critics claim, and they can’t stand it’, the London Mayor Sadiq Khan writes
Listen to what some people say about the capital, particularly on social media, and the impression you’d get is that London is a lawless dystopia where crime is out of control. Look at the numbers, though, and you’ll see a different story.
In the year to October, London recorded 10,000 fewer violent crimes leading to injury than it did in the twelve months before I was elected. You are less likely to be a victim of violent crime in the capital than you are in the rest of England and Wales.
The number of murders in London so far this year is the lowest for more than a decade. When you compare the capital to similar cities around the world, that decline is even more drastic. In August, analysis showed that homicide rates in London were four times lower than New York, six times lower than LA, and a whopping seventeen times lower than Chicago.
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Make no mistake, there’s much more to do. One murder will always be one too many. But the keyboard warriors and armchair generals are wrong: in London, we’re leading the battle against violent crime.
That is no accident. After a decade of government austerity, we’ve doubled police funding from City Hall, giving the police the tools they need to go after the capital’s most dangerous criminals. We’ve also cut reoffending by tagging people convicted of knife crime, stalking, and domestic abuse. And we’ve rebuilt youth services, creating more than 500,000 positive opportunities to prevent young people from getting sucked into a life of crime.
You’d think that people who claim to be patriots would be proud of the progress we’ve made in London. If you love your country, it seems logical that you’d want the best for its capital. So you have to ask: why, despite all the evidence, do these trolls insist on bashing London?
I think the answer is simple. They don’t want our modern, multicultural, progressive metropolis to succeed because they can’t stomach the truth. London is a place where people of every creed, colour and culture live together in peace and mutual respect. A city where a council estate kid with immigrant parents can become Mayor and win again and again.
London’s success is evidence that diversity is a strength to be celebrated, not a weakness to be hidden. The fact that London has again been crowned greatest city in the world disproves everything our critics claim, and they can’t stand it.
None of this means we shouldn’t care about crime – far from it. Crime in the capital doesn’t just make life worse for ordinary Londoners. It eats away at the foundations of the open, welcoming society we have built here. That’s why my top priority as Mayor will always be keeping London safe. But, when we’re under attack, I won’t be afraid to call out the haters. Their claims that London is lawless are baseless, unpatriotic nonsense.
‘London’s creative spirit is a magnet for millions’
This month, London once again proved it is the cultural capital of the world.
Global megastars descended on the Southbank for the BFI Film Festival. Leicester Square turned emerald green for the European premiere of Wicked. And sumo fever hit the city as we welcomed the Grand Sumo Tournament to the Royal Albert Hall.
From the West End to Wembley, the Serpentine Galleries to Shakespeare’s Globe, London serves up the best-in-class.
And, of course, there’s still time to see the Stranger Things theatre production before the much-anticipated final season arrives on our screens in less than a fortnight…
It’s no surprise London’s creative spirit is a magnet for millions around the world, who want to come and taste what our capital has to offer. Whatever you love, you can find it in London.
‘Bold climate action can improve lives right now’
Right now, negotiators at COP30 in Brazil are hammering out a deal to keep up the fight against climate change. If they need inspiration, they should look at the world’s mayors. At a summit last week, we showed that bold climate action isn’t just about protecting the planet for future generations – it can improve people’s lives right now with good jobs, clean air, and lower bills. Our message was clear: enough denial and delay – let’s get on with the job and do!
‘Zohran Mamdani’s incredible victory is a lesson’
Last week, over a million New Yorkers queued up in churches, community centres and sports halls to cast their ballot for change.
Zohran Mamdani’s incredible victory is a lesson – for those who deal in doom and despair, and peddle prejudice and division.
Hope and unity will always win. Zohran’s major shortcoming though – he’s an Arsenal fan.