City Officials Fight Disinformation Campaign Portraying London as Crime-Ridden

City of London officials and business leaders are mobilizing to counter a growing wave of disinformation portraying the UK capital as unsafe, amid fears the narrative could harm investment, recruitment, and London’s global standing as a financial hub.

The campaign gained momentum after tech billionaire Elon Musk claimed London is “filled with crime” during his appearance at Tommy Robinson’s far-right rally last September. Similar sentiments have been echoed by Donald Trump’s references to London “no-go zones” and Nigel Farage’s warnings against wearing jewelry in the West End after 9pm.

What began in right-wing circles and social media has now penetrated City boardrooms and diplomatic meetings, alarming officials and financial sector executives concerned about potential economic fallout.

“Nobody’s saying ‘it means that I won’t invest in the City,'” said Dame Susan Langley, the City of London’s mayor. “But anything that undermines the City has the potential to undermine business. Which is why I went out and said we need to start countering this.”

Langley plans to use her one-year term as the Square Mile’s figurehead to correct anti-London rumors. Her campaign will begin with meetings involving financial sector organizations such as UK Finance, TheCityUK, and the Investment Association to craft consistent messaging about London’s strengths.

The messaging will focus on “pragmatic, simple, key lines” highlighting “talent, availability of capital, that it’s a nice place to live and work… the whole ecosystem,” according to Langley. She acknowledges British reticence to self-promote but emphasizes that perception often becomes reality.

Gulf state bank executives have already started questioning whether they and their families would be safe in London, citing stories about phone snatching and watch muggings. Similar concerns have been raised by US financial firms, with most citing information seen on social media.

“I went, ‘Hold on a minute, I’m not saying that the city is perfect, but no city is perfect. There’s always crime,'” Langley recounted. “But we’re one of the safest cities in the world. What are you talking about?”

The statistics contradict the image of London as a crime hotspot. Recent figures show London’s murder rate at a record low, far below other major cities including New York. Among London’s population of approximately 9 million, residents are less likely to be victims of violent crime than people elsewhere in England and Wales.

In the City of London specifically, which has its own police force, phone theft reports fell by 28% to 213 in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier. Metropolitan Police data shows luxury watch, handbag, and jewelry theft are all declining across London.

One London executive revealed these concerns have reached diplomatic circles, with UK representatives having to reassure businesses that London remains a safe place to work. “What we tend to hear is about chronic levels of antisocial behaviour,” the executive said, noting the narrative typically comes from those less familiar with the capital.

Several City bosses have heard rumors that the disinformation could be linked to Russia, though they emphasized no concrete evidence has emerged. Langley avoided speculating about specific sources but agreed it “feels like an active disinformation campaign.”

“Naturally, it would benefit any other financial centre. Because if they’re trying to undermine the City that’s obviously a sweet spot,” she noted.

The debate over financial center supremacy intensified after Brexit, which positioned London against rivals like Paris and Frankfurt. More recently, UK companies choosing to list on New York stock markets have raised questions about London’s status.

Recruitment could be the first area impacted by the misinformation, Langley warned. “It might just make people think twice about whether they want to come and work in London or expand.”

A London-based bank executive said they had seen no impact yet: “We hire a lot internationally, and never faced anyone raising this, or from investors. It’s not having an impact right now… but we don’t want to get to a point where it is. Otherwise it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

The UK government is monitoring the situation. A spokesperson stated they are “working with international partners and industry leaders to counter malign activity online” that aims to destabilize countries and impact trade and investment.

“The facts tell a different story – business investment is at a 20-year high and the UK is one of the safest countries in Europe,” the spokesperson added. “We are open for business and will continue to fight false narratives online which say otherwise.”

Langley likened the needed response to Olympic spirit. “We had the Team GB spirit around the Olympics. So where’s the Team UK spirit around politely, and in a very British way, standing up for our industries, our city and all of the good things that we can actually do?”