Statement from the Mayor of London on King's College research on misinformation

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This latest research from King’s College is a sad indictment of the volume of misinformation and organised disinformation being peddled against our capital. For too long we have seen foreign state actors, politicians, bots and others regularly talking down London, taking advantage of the outrage economy which allows people to profit from the poison, algorithms and rage baiting spread online.

“Independent evidence confirms that Londoners are, on average, less likely to be a victim of a violence with injury than across the rest of England and Wales. Last year London’s homicide rate was the lowest per capita since records began and is lower than many major international cities, including Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Madrid and every major US City.

“This progress is down to my record investment in the Met, setting up London’s Violence Reduction Unit and the hard work of officers which has also helped reduce neighbourhood crime across London by 14 per cent– with 14,000 fewer phone thefts and the doubling of officers working in the heart of our city.

“But I’m clear that one crime is one too many and am determined to build on the progress we have achieved by being tough on crime with record investment in front-line policing alongside the prevention and intervention work led by London’s Violence Reduction Unit - the first in England and Wales.

“I’m proud that we are the greatest city in the world. As Mayor I will always stand up and defend our liberal, progressive, caring capital in the face of those deliberately driving these misconceptions for their own gain.”