Cash call

Sadiq Khan blames cutbacks for rise in attacks

Sadiq Khan broke his silence in the wake of a rise in murders by appealing for more money to tackle crime on London’s streets.

The Mayor of London has been accused of failing to respond quickly enough to a spate of violent crime in the capital. Mr Khan told LBC radio yesterday that cuts to services, including frontline policing, were to blame.

He added: “I have got full confidence in the Met Police service but I’m not going to apologise for making the point of the context of the cuts over the last few years. One of the jobs of the mayor is to be the champion and advocate of our city and that means standing up for our city when we are facing massive cuts.”

The mayor appealed for Theresa May to meet him face-to-face to discuss the spiralling murder rate. However, a spokesman for Mrs May said: “The Mayor of London is accountable for the performance of the Metropolitan Police.”