Sir Sadiq Khan has been told to stop “dragging his feet” on tackling hate crime in London as he announced £875,000 to help “fight extremism and stand up to hate”.
The fresh investment will go to more than 20 grassroots organisations which combat racism and intolerance, including the Anne Frank Trust UK and the West Ham United Foundation.
The Mayor of London said that residents in the capital are “living in increasingly divisive and uncertain times”, despite a recent fall in hate crimes recorded by police.
Between August 2024 and July 2025, there were 21,284 incidents recorded – down from 25,361 in the 12 months prior.
Sir Sadiq said: “Hate crime, extremism and intolerance has no place in London. That’s why I’m continuing to fund grassroot community groups which will benefit Londoners – giving them the skills they need to fight extremism and stand up to hate.
“We are living in increasingly divisive and uncertain times and I know the worry and concern that this is having in our communities. That’s why I’m committed to working in close partnership with communities and the police to ensure everyone in the capital feels, and is, safe and welcome.
“I will always champion London’s diversity as our greatest strength and work to shape a city where people understand and respect one another, building a better and safer London for everyone.”
The funding is part of a wider £16 million Shared Endeavour Fund and is expected to reach 50,000 Londoners.
Officials say the latest round of investment is intended to bring together communities and counter hate – including Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, far-right activity and Islamist extremism – by teaching young people how to identify and reject such narratives.
They say it is especially important amid anti-migrant protests outside hotels and figures showing that 43 children aged 17 and under were arrested in the UK for terror-related offences last year.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Our concerns over children and young adults being drawn into extremism and terrorism continue to grow. We’re seeing record number of children in our casework and much of this is driven by what they are encountering online, with extremist and terrorist groups exploiting new and emerging technologies and channels to target and recruit those vulnerable to radicalisation.
“That is why it is so important that we also come up with new and innovative ways to counter these threats. It’s a whole societal problem.”
Last year Sir Sadiq warned of a potential increase in hate crime – especially Islamophobia and anti-Semitism – across Britain due to ongoing violence in the Middle East.
The Mayor himself has been subject to a torrent of racist abuse, with almost 28,000 social media posts referring to Sir Sadiq also containing an Islamophobic phrase last year, with the vast majority originating on social media platform X.
Research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate has found that, as a whole, X failed to act on 97 per cent of posts calling for violence against migrants or Muslims that are reported to the platform.
However, the Mayor has been accused by the Liberal Democrats of failing to take action on Islamophobia closer to home.
Hina Bokhari, who leads the group on the London Assembly, told the LDRS: “This funding really matters, but it can’t hide the Mayor’s failure to get his own house in order.
“TfL, the Met and the Fire Brigade still have no Islamophobia training whatsoever, leaving London’s institutions totally unprepared to counter the abuse and threats Muslims face daily.
“This demands action now from the heart of City Hall – so why is the Mayor still dragging his feet?”
The Mayor also came under fire from the Tories, who blamed policing cuts and a failure of the national Labour Party to tackle illegal migration.
Susan Hall, Leader of the City Hall Conservatives, said: “We remain concerned about the level of hate crime and extremism in London, including the rise in anti-Semitism over the last two years. The Mayor’s devastating cuts to policing in London will clearly make it harder for the Met to tackle these crimes.
“Londoners are rightly angry, however, with the increasing number of illegal boat crossings under this Labour government and the growing £7 billion cost of housing illegal migrants in hotels, with a third in London hotels alone.
“Those who have protested peacefully outside migrant hotels, including the Pink Ladies, will be absolutely outraged to hear Sadiq Khan suggest their concerns about women’s safety are examples of extremism, intolerance or hate crimes.
“This tells you everything you need to know about the Labour Party’s attitude to illegal migration and stopping the small boats – it is disgraceful to conflate peaceful protest and freedom of speech with extremism. Clearly the Mayor should apologise.”
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