One Shocking Fact About Sadiq Khan’s Spending Amid London’s Knife Crime Surge will Leave You Speechless
Sadiq Khan is failing London, and knife crime continues to rise. In just the first few weeks of the year, there have already been multiple stabbings across the city. A 25-year-old man was stabbed on Oxford Street on January 1. On January 5, there was a double stabbing on Kilburn High Road.
The following day, an 18-year-old man was stabbed on Prince Imperial Road. Hours later, 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa was killed in Woolwich, and another stabbing was reported in Mile End that same day.
On January 11, a stabbing and two shootings took place in Homerton. Just two days later, Gregory Castillo Volquez, a father of two, was fatally stabbed in Haringey. The next day saw more stabbings outside City & Islington College and in Ilford.
As Mayor, Sadiq Khan oversees the Metropolitan Police, but his response to London’s knife crime crisis has been weak. His 2025-2029 crime plan offers little reassurance.
Although it mentions stop and search, the focus seems to be on scrutinizing its use rather than enforcing it effectively. During Mayor’s Question Time, I suggested making Operation Sceptre—a successful initiative that currently runs twice a year—a year-round programme.
In one week alone in May 2023, this operation recovered 170 knives, conducted 1,358 stop-and-searches, and executed 22 warrants. However, Khan dismissed this proposal, blaming “14 years of Tory austerity” for the lack of funding.
Reform UK has identified a way to fund this initiative without additional costs. Since becoming Mayor, Khan has increased City Hall staff numbers from 795 in 2016 to 1,396 in 2024, tripling staff costs to £121.8m. By reducing the number of staff to 2016 levels, these savings could be redirected to hire over 1,000 police officers and fund a continuous Operation Sceptre.
While diversion programmes like mentoring have value, evidence from cities such as Glasgow shows that enforcement is a crucial component of reducing knife crime. Sadly, Khan rejected this proposal outright, refusing to work with Reform UK, and the Conservatives also declined to support it.
Londoners deserve better. Knife crime is out of control, and Khan’s approach is not addressing the problem. Reform UK has a clear plan to tackle this crisis and make London safer.
