Mayor says London is safer as violent crime falls, rejecting Trump’s claim it is “through the roof

Sadiq Khan has struck back at critics who claim London is spiralling into lawlessness, citing new data showing violent crime has fallen across every borough in the capital.

Figures from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime reveal a nearly 12% drop in offences causing injury over the past year, with 8,749 fewer incidents recorded in the 12 months to August 2025 compared with the previous period.

The steepest declines came in Havering, down 16.3%, and Enfield, down 16.1%. Even boroughs with the smallest decreases, Greenwich (4.3%) and Kensington and Chelsea (4.6%), still saw improvements.

“This evidence is clear,” Khan said. “Our approach to tackling crime and its complex causes works. It’s driving down violence right across the capital.”

The mayor’s remarks followed a renewed attack from US President Donald Trump, who earlier this month accused Khan of doing a “terrible job” and claimed “crime in London is through the roof.” Trump escalated further at the United Nations General Assembly, alleging without evidence that London “wants Sharia law.”

Khan dismissed the criticism as both baseless and personal. “I think President Trump has shown he is racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic,” he said. “The public will be wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor, leading a liberal, multicultural, progressive, successful city, that means I appear to be living rent-free inside Donald Trump’s head.”

The new figures contrast sharply with Trump’s assertions. According to City Hall, London homicides are now at their lowest point in a decade. The homicide rate is also lower than in Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Paris and every major US city.

Comparisons with Khan’s first weeks in office add weight to the picture. In the 12 months to June 2025, homicides were 17% lower than in the year ending May 2016.

Khan accused “politicians here and across the globe” of “talking down London” for political gain. “We’ve seen a number of politicians spreading misinformation about crime and safety in the capital,” he said.

The clash with Trump is the latest in a long-running feud between the two leaders. The US president has repeatedly targeted Khan during his time in office and beyond, with critics seeing his barbs as racially and religiously motivated.

For Londoners, however, the focus is less on rhetoric and more on reality. The city, like others, faces persistent challenges with knife crime, gang violence and social inequality. Yet the latest numbers suggest progress is being made under Khan’s watch, even as political battles rage over the narrative.

Observers note that the mayor’s strong defence of London comes at a politically charged moment. With Labour’s leadership seeking to project stability and safety, Khan’s statistics present a counterweight to international criticism.

But the war of words with Trump ensures the debate around London’s crime levels is unlikely to fade quickly. For now, Khan is presenting hard data against loud accusations — a fight not just over facts and figures, but over who controls the story of the capital.