Hating on London has become catnip for conservatives, which is understandable given that the city is the source of so much that rankles us, from the perception that whole boroughs have become no-go zones to unprecedented demographic change.
I say “perception” because a recent study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London suggests the public thinks London is far more crime-ridden and diverse than it actually is.
Between 2019 and 2025, recorded shoplifting and pickpocketing more than doubled in London, yet total recorded crime fell by 1.4 per cent and murders declined by around 15 per cent. Despite a rise in violence against the person, London had the lowest recorded rate of violent crime of any region in England and Wales in the year to September 2025.
Knife crime presents a similarly complicated picture. Police-recorded knife offences rose by 86 per cent between 2014/15 and 2024, according to Policy Exchange. Yet, as The Economist reports, hospital admissions for assault by sharp object have fallen by a third from their peak in 2017/18, while knife-related homicides have halved.
Where you fall on the left–right spectrum can also distort your perception of changing demographics. The King’s College research found that Reform voters estimate Muslims make up half the capital’s population, compared with the actual figure of 15 per cent (Labour and Green voters substantially overestimate the White British population).
All this is to say that I’m not blind to confirmation bias. But perceptions still matter because reality is often lagging just behind. And when it catches up, it lands like a punch to the gut.
This is exactly what happened to me on a random Friday night in October. I was subjected to two very unpleasant ordeals in the space of five minutes that left me convinced London has, in fact, “fallen”.