The recent political attack ad targeting London’s mayoral race took a bizarre turn when it was revealed that footage of frightened commuters running through a train station was actually from Penn Station in New York, not London. The ad, created to support Conservative candidate Susan Hall over incumbent Sadiq Khan of the Labour Party, sparked controversy and accusations of misinformation.
In response to the ad, Mr. Khan criticized the use of false footage, calling it unpatriotic and a clear example of the disinformation and lies he fears will dominate the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Ms. Hall, who has been focusing her campaign on the issue of crime in London, did not respond to requests for comment.
The mistaken footage was identified as coming from a stampede at Penn Station in 2017, caused by mistaken reports of gunfire. Despite the campaign’s focus on crime, statistics show that crime in London has only moderately increased since Mr. Khan took office in 2016, and Londoners are still less likely to be crime victims than the average for Britain as a whole.
In addition to the crime issue, Ms. Hall has also been vocal against the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) in London, which requires drivers of vehicles that do not meet emissions standards to pay a daily fee. Some Ulez enforcers have faced threats and harassment, leading to the controversial use of balaclavas to cover their faces.
The ad, which has since been edited to remove the Penn Station footage, continues to push a narrative of fear and intimidation, portraying Ulez enforcers as “squads” terrorizing communities at the behest of their “Labour mayor master.” With the election approaching on May 2, the race for London’s mayor remains heated and contentious.
