Reform UK's London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham has sparked controversy by declaring the capital 'no longer safe', a claim that has been met with accusations of 'talking down the city'. Speaking alongside Nigel Farage, the former crown prosecutor and Westminster councillor pledged an 'all-out war on crime', stating: 'I love this city with all my heart, but unlike some in this room, I’m not blind to what it’s become.'
Farage echoed her sentiments, saying: 'Khan can’t think London today is the greatest city of the world. He is deluded and he wants to get out more.' However, critics argue the rhetoric is overblown. Long-term resident Dinsdale Broderick told Metro: 'Like any major city, London has its issues, including crime and citizens have to be street-savvy, but that goes with the territory.'
Official figures show a mixed picture. The number of murders in the first nine months of 2025 was the lowest on record, and knife crime fell by nearly 20% between April and June. Yet petty crime remains a concern, with the Metropolitan Police receiving over 79,000 reports of pickpocketing between March 2023 and 2024. In Westminster alone, 28,155 incidents were recorded, with one in seven people having items—mainly phones—stolen.
Vigilantism is on the rise as a result. Pickpocket hunter Diego Galdino works full-time to deter thieves, criticising police presence: 'I always see police just standing around. A lot of them are good but there are officers on patrol I just see vaping while pickpockets are out there targeting people.' Long-time Londoner David Bond added: 'I don’t think the deterrence is strong enough, and petty crime seems to be getting worse.'
Despite these concerns, London does not rank among the UK's top three most crime-ridden cities according to the Numbeo Crime Index, with Bradford, Coventry, Birmingham, and Manchester all faring worse. Compared to Europe, it falls outside the top ten, with cities like Marseille, Naples, and Liège ranking higher. Resident Lizzie France, who has lived in London for over a decade, dismissed the fear: 'I see Reform supporters getting jittery about a day out in central London which just seems silly. There’s no such thing as zero risk but I certainly don’t feel more unsafe in London than I do in other places.'
Cunningham, who is running for the 2028 mayoral election, said she will give 'new marching orders' to the Metropolitan Police to tackle crime and stop people from the rest of the UK 'pitying' Londoners. She recalled: 'When I was growing up, London was the place to live, the place to work, the place to build a life. People envied us that live here. Now, they pity us.' But France countered: 'London is fantastic and nowhere else can compare. You’ve got so much choice and diversity on your doorstep.'
