Conservatives mocked for London “crime capital” video that uses footage of wrong city | indy100

Rishi Sunak refuses to rule out May 2024 general election

BBC Radio 2

The Conservatives have deleted an advert after being mocked for using footage of New York City in a video about London.

On Monday evening, the official Conservative Party Twitter/X account uploaded a video with the caption, "FACT: London under Labour has become a crime capital of the world."

The video uses an American voiceover with ominous background music and mostly contains footage of London. However, viewers pointed out that one of the clips used showed scenes from the New York Metro, not the London Underground.

You can take a look at the deleted clip below:

On the day the Government warns about misinformation and deep fakes threatening our democracy, the @Conservatives release this video claiming London has become the "crime capital of the world" under Sadiq Khan, which is illustrated by scenes from... the New York Metro.
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The New York clip was from 2017, showing people rushing out of New York's Penn station after there were false reports of gunfire.

After many pointed out the misuse of the clip, including Twitter/X's Community Note, the video was removed a replaced with a version where the Penn station clips had been cut.

The video claims that knife crime has increased by 54 per cent "since the Labour mayor seized power."

Knife crime surged by 20% from 2022 to 2023 in London, but according to the Office of National Statistics, knife crime levels remain 8 per cent lower than before the pandemic.

Additionally, analysis by The Guardianfound 14.9 per cent of people in London experienced a crime in the year ending September 2023, compared with 15.7 per cent nationally.

Columnist Paul Waugh called the use of the New York clip "embarrassing":

Well this is embarrassing. Cchq uses footage (scroll to 1m07s, the rest really isn't worth your time) of a NEW YORK SUBWAY station to attack @SadiqKhan.\n\nThis, days after @RishiSunak was so embarrassed by the Tory candidate he didn't even turn up to her launch. Or invite media.
— (@)

Whilst many couldn't believe how appalling the advert is, even without the New York clip:

When this video states that @SadiqKhan \u2018seized power\u2019 - am sure I\u2019m right in saying he beat the Conservatives in two free and fair elections. Also weren\u2019t there any British voiceover artists available? British jobs for British workers etc
— (@)

It's giving "we got a \u00a3150 budget for Getty stock video and an intern who says they're really good at CapCut", I'm afraid
— (@)

This cannot be real. This can't be something I have seen with my human eyes.
— (@)

This is genuinely the weirdest political broadcast I\u2019ve ever seen in my life. Just beyond odd.
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A close source to Khan told PA media: “It’s true to form for the Tory campaign. It’s a deeply misleading attack intentionally talking down London, from a candidate who appears to have no love for the city she aspires to lead.”

Conservative candidate Susan Hall is running against Khan in the London mayoral election on 2 May.

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