1,146 knife crime incidents were reported in May, averaging over 1,000 each month since June 2016, compared to around 800 during the previous year. Total crime rates are the highest they have been since 2012.

Issues Index

The Ipsos Mori issues index asks individuals what they see as the most important issues facing Britain today. The latest data, from Q2 this year, shows that NHS is top concern for Londoners (45 per cent), having been second highest (below Brexit) in Q1. Brexit, unsurprisingly, has rocketed up the agenda over the last few quarters, both inside and outside London”. When it comes to comparing London with the rest of the country, two main worries are shared – the NHS and Brexit.

There are, however, differences between London and the rest of Britain. Housing accounts for the biggest disparity – cited as a major issue by 28 per cent in London and just 16 per cent outside London. Londoners also tend to worry about the economy (31 per cent compared to 22 per cent), and less about immigration.

London is different from the rest of Britain and the monthly poll we have undertaken since 1974  – aggregate results are reported here – confirms it.  Reflecting the cost of living in the capital, common stereotypes of a wealthy London lording it over the rest of the UK can be quickly dispelled.  The biggest differences are that Londoners are far more likely to spontaneously mention housing, poverty, and the economy than Britons as a whole.

With many choosing to live in a diverse city, they are a bit less concerned about immigration than the rest of the Britain, but London’s air quality means they are more likely to worry about pollution.

Ben Page, Director, Ipsos Mori

Attractions monitor

These data are compiled by London and Partners, monitoring footfall across 63 of London’s main attractions: including museums, galleries, stadia and historical locations.

After a strong period of year-on-year growth over the winter months, March saw an annualised drop of 7.6 per cent in the number of people visiting London’s top attractions. This fall was more pronounced in locations outside Zone 1 (-13 per cent) compared to Central London (-5 per cent). Across the first three months of the year, the proportion of visitors to free attractions was around 65 per cent. These have, however, seen small year-on-year declines in recent months, while charging attractions have actually seen relatively strong growth. This could be a result of tourists having more spending power given the fall in value of sterling.

The next quarter’s figures will give an indication of the impact of high profile terror attacks in London and Manchester on visitor attractions.

Crime

Total crime rates, adjusted for population, are the highest they have been since 2012, with total notifiable offences (TNOs) rising to 7.94 crimes per 1,000 people in May. Violent crime, in accordance with longer term trends, is responsible for around 30 per cent of all offences, and so has also seen growth to 2.45 crimes per 1,000 people.

1,146 knife crime incidents were reported in May. This is consistent with a notable increase in knife crime over the past year: in the twelve months to May 2017, an average of 1,064 incidents were reported each month; in the previous year the average was 810. Knife crime is a social and policy issue that is coming into greater focus across the capital, with stabbings receiving significant media coverage in recent months.

Homelessness and rough sleeping

This section incorporates both rough sleeping estimates and the number of people being accepted as homeless by a local authority. The numbers vary because homelessness does not necessarily imply that an individual is sleeping rough. While the homeless figure may be symptomatic of the housing pressures in London, the rough sleeping estimates are likely to demonstrate a wider failure of public services.

Figures collected by the Combined Homelessness Information Network for the first three months of the year, suggest the number of rough sleepers across the capital has risen 7.5 per cent compared to the same three months last year, to 2,751. In terms of nationality, the majority (around half) are from the UK, up significantly on last year, while the next largest group is central and eastern Europeans.

The rate of households accepted as being homeless by the local authority according to the statutory definition across the first three months of this year was 1.13 per 1,000 households, equating to over 4,000 households. This rate and number are both down compared to last year, but higher than longer term trends over the decade and the rate is double that in the rest of England. Rates vary significantly across boroughs, as shown in Figure 22.