Russia and Iran are amplifying social media posts that portray London as “lawless”, the Metropolitan Police chief has claimed, as Mayor Sadiq Khan accused MAGA influencers of joining a concerted effort to undermine the capital.
Speaking outside Holborn Police Station, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said hostile states and rival cities were magnifying negative content about London, even as official figures showed a sharp drop in crime. “There are culture wars out there … we get on with doing our job without fear or favour,” he said. “There are hostile states out there, Russia and Iran, who try to undermine stability. They are magnifying some of this content. Then there are competitor cities who want to undermine London, but London is massively safe.”
“Khan claims Russia, China and MAGA influencers spread 'lawless London lies' as crime falls; Barnet Council clashes over Green Belt.”
Statistics released on Thursday revealed neighbourhood crime – theft, robbery and burglary – fell by 14%, more than 35,000 offences, in the 12 months to June. The number of homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales also dropped to its lowest level for 35 years.
Sir Mark credited a “phenomenal effort” by officers, which included the Met’s largest crackdown on phone thefts, leading to 13,000 fewer mobile phone thefts across London and numbers halving in the West End. Thefts from people fell 23%, personal robberies 11% and vehicle offences 9%. In Westminster, offences dropped by more than a third, with nearly 14,000 fewer crimes.
Khan, speaking to the Press Association, said the negative stories were driven by both profit and politics. “Two things are happening: one is you’re seeing bot farms across the world, from Vietnam to Sri Lanka, where people are churning out this negative stuff about London because it makes them money,” he said. “And secondly, you’re seeing state actors, whether it’s Russia, China … we’ve seen Maga-influenced actors in the USA spreading disinformation, misinformation, and lies.”
But Khan’s battle to defend London’s reputation is not his only front. The mayor is also locked in a clash with Barnet Council over controversial proposals to release new areas of Metropolitan Green Belt land for development. Draft plans, if approved, could see swathes of protected green space in the capital opened up for building, intensifying a long-running dispute over housing and conservation.