Fact Check: Did a Poll Prove Crime Is Why Most Londoners Want Sadiq Khan to Step Down? No

Verdict: Unsupported

Posts said a poll proved crime was why a majority wanted Mayor Sadiq Khan to step down. That conclusion is unsupported. The survey separately asked about another term and ratings on issues including crime; it did not ask opponents to identify their reason.

A majority can dislike crime performance and a majority can oppose another term without being the same people. Combining percentages cannot create a causal answer respondents never supplied.

What the poll found

YouGov reported 56% thought Khan should step down before the 2028 election and 57% rated his handling of crime badly. Those are legitimate findings when accompanied by wording, field dates and methodology.

Respondents could have been motivated by housing, transport, party preference, tenure, several issues or something unlisted. The questionnaire cannot choose among them.

How to read the result

Readers should distinguish approval, voting intention and willingness to support another term. Each measures something different, and sampling uncertainty remains.

Evidence for the claim would require a direct reason question and published results showing crime led. Until then, the two negative findings are real but the claimed explanation is not established.

Limits and what to watch

Separate majorities on another term and crime performance do not prove that one attitude caused the other.

The next development to watch is a future poll that directly asks opponents of another term to state their reasons.

What’s the Scoop With Broach will keep this report tied to dated records and named sources. Coverage of claims that a poll proved crime caused most Londoners to want Sadiq Khan to step down should change only when new evidence changes the verified account. For London voters and readers interpreting political polling, that means future updates will identify the issuing institution, explain what is newly established and preserve any uncertainty that remains. Readers can use the source list below to inspect the underlying material and distinguish this newsroom’s synthesis from the official documents and independently reported facts on which it relies.