Sadiq Khan clashes with Home Secretary over surge in London knife crime

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The Home Secretary has clashed with Sadiq Khan after accusing London of “driving” the national increase in knife crime.

During a meeting on Thursday, James Cleverly challenged the Mayor on why blade offences in the capital had leapt by more than a fifth (22 per cent) in the last year, with nearly 40 being recorded every day.

City Hall hit back saying that since the Conservative Government came to power, it has imposed cuts of £1 billion in real terms to Met police budgets.

Knife crime nationally surged by 5 per cent last year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Mr Cleverly wrote to Mr Khan on Friday to argue that if the London figures were taken out of the statistics, the national trend would show a 1 per cent reduction.

“We are making good progress on reducing levels of serious violence across the country,” he told Mr Khan.

“In London however, the picture is very different.”

“The rise [in knife crime] is driven by the situation in London,” he added.

During the 12 months to the end of September last year there were 74 blade killings, 8,343 knifepoint robberies and 214 offences of rape or sexual assault carried out with a knife in London.

The Labour Mayor’s office accused Mr Cleverly of a “desperate and naked political attack, following the Home Secretary’s appalling decision to give London proportionally less money than the rest of the country in the latest funding round”.

A source close to Mr Khan said: “Tory cuts have been a disaster for combating crime across the country, particularly youth violence.

“The Tories have cut £1billion from the Met police in real terms since 2010, and £1billion cuts to youth services nationally have had a devastating impact on the vital support communities can provide.

“Knife crime has increased nationally, with the biggest increases in areas outside London. Cuts have consequences.”

ONS data shows that nationally knife crimes have soared by 77 per cent in just under a decade – up from 27,498 in 2015 to 48,716 in the year to last September.

Patrick Green, CEO of charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “The recent announcement of a 22 per cent increase in knife crime across London is not just another depressing statistic.

“It’s a stark reminder of a national emergency unfolding on our streets, with London bearing the brunt of the violence.

“This is not the time for petty political squabbles.

“This is a moment that demands unity and unwavering commitment from all corners.”

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