London crime drops 14% as mayor blames bot farms for negative narratives
London's Metropolitan Police reported a 14% drop in neighbourhood crime, including phone theft and burglary, in the year to June. In Westminster, crimes fell by over a third, and by a quarter in Camden. Mayor Sadiq Khan cited a 200% increase in social media stories portraying London as dangerous, attributing them to bot farms, state actors in Russia and China, and MAGA-backed influencers. Khan, London's first Muslim mayor since 2016, has faced insults from Elon Musk and Donald Trump. He argues these narratives fuel an 'outrage economy' that monetises negativity, often tied to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views.
Key facts
- Neighbourhood crime in London fell 14% in the year to June.
- Westminster borough saw a drop of more than a third in such crimes.
- Camden saw a quarter reduction in neighbourhood crime.
- Mayor Sadiq Khan reported a 200% increase in negative social media stories about London.
- Khan blames bot farms, Russian and Chinese state actors, and MAGA-backed influencers.
- Khan has been London's mayor since 2016 and is the city's first Muslim mayor.
- Khan has been insulted by Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump.
- The negative narratives are tied to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views.
Entities
Institutions
- Metropolitan Police
- Associated Press
Locations
- London
- Westminster
- Camden
- Soho
- Leicester Square
- Parliament
- Russia
- China
- USA