'He's checked out of the job!' Sadiq Khan accused of allowing London crime to become 'free-for-all'
Susan Hall tells GB News she wants to 'get control of our streets'
Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall has accused Sadiq Khan of allowing London to become a "free-for-all" when it comes to crime.
She claimed the London Mayor is "not fit for purpose", adding: "He’s checked out of the job and it’s impacting his ability to lead our police."
Writing for GB News, the London mayoral candidate explained: "As we know, the Met Police has been in special measures for nearly two years.
"Yet while the London Fire Brigade has managed to pull itself out of a similar situation this week, with no help from Sadiq Khan, it only shines a spotlight on how far the police are lagging behind.
Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall has accused Sadiq Khan of allowing London to become a "free-for-all" when it comes to crime
PA
"With Sadiq Khan at the helm, the Met's been spinning its wheels, and London's paying the price with a crime wave.
"Over 1,000 people have lost their lives to violence on his watch. While the Met commissioner is cracking down after the horrific scandals, Sadiq Khan could not be less interested."
She added: "He would rather snipe at the police from the sidelines, than take responsibility for his own failings.
"Perhaps he doesn’t get it. Leadership is about so much more than the perks – it’s about taking responsibility when things go wrong.
"Sadiq Khan has allowed London to become a free-for-all for criminals.
"It's like they've got a free pass, with Sadiq Khan too distracted by his numerous side hustles and vanity projects to notice the chaos on his own doorstep."
Earlier this year, Home Secretary James Cleverly blamed a sharp rise in knife crime in London for driving an increase across England and Wales.
In a letter to Khan, Cleverly claimed that - if London's recent record was excluded - there would have been a small drop across the country.
Knife crime increased by 22 per cent in London in the year to 23 September, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. Across the country, offences increased by 5 per cent.
But City Hall dubbed Cleverly's remarks a "desperate attack" to draw attention away from the Government's underfunding of policing in the capital.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Government cuts have been a disaster for combating crime across the country, particularly youth violence. The Government has cut £1bn from the Met Police in real terms since 2010 and £1 billion from youth services nationally, which has had a devastating impact on the vital support communities can provide. Cuts have consequences.
“The Mayor continues to step in to fill the financial gaps left by the Government as much as possible, investing record amounts from City Hall to support the police, including an additional £88m this year alone. He has increased funding for the police by 93 per cent since 2016 and invested in positive opportunities for over 300,000 young Londoners at risk of getting involved in gangs and violence.
“The latest ONS statistics show that violence against the person in London is below the average for England and Wales. The Mayor’s record investment in the police and early intervention, through London’s Violence Reduction Unit, has contributed to homicides, gun crime and the number of young people being injured with knives all falling in London since 2016, despite London’s population rising and the impact of government austerity.
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"But it’s clear that violent crime remains far too high and there’s much more to do. That’s why Sadiq is determined to continue being tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime, but we urgently need the Government to follow our lead and commit to properly funding the police and our youth services to help us build a safer London for everyone.”
The Mayor's Office has been contacted for comment on Hall's remarks.