No, British PM Keir Starmer did not call London a ‘great Muslim city’

What’s the claim?

A post shared on social media claims that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to London as a “great Muslim city” in his speech on October 14. 

A Facebook user shared the alleged quote from the speech, stating, “Wow! Wow! Starmer on TV claiming LONDON IS A ‘GREAT MUSLIM CITY.’” Archived versions of similar posts can be found here, here, and here.

The claimed quote was also shared on X (formerly Twitter) and accompanied by similar captions. At the time of writing this story, the post had garnered over 277,000 views, 1,300 reshares, and 3,700 likes. An archived version of the post can be found here. 

Screenshot of the viral claim. (Source: Facebook/X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, after examining Starmer’s speech, we found the alleged quote is incorrect. In his speech, Starmer actually called London a ‘great modern city,’ not a ‘great Muslim city.’

What we found

Logically Facts found that the claims emerged on social media shortly after Starmer’s speech at the International Investment Summit held at London’s Guildhall on October 14, 2024. 

At no point in the speech, live-streamed by 10 Downing Street on YouTube (archived here), does Starmer say “great Muslim city.” We also accessed the full transcript of the speech, and throughout his remark, the prime minister did not say “Muslim.”

However, we found that at the 6:57 mark, Starmer refers to London as “this great modern city.” 

Before this remark, Starmer, at the 5:55 mark, says: “This is a great moment to back Britain, this is a great moment to back England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.  We have an amazing education system that produces some of the best talent in the world. The largest tech sector in Europe. Leading positions in some of those great industries of the future. Artificial intelligence, life sciences, clean energy, the creative industries… We’re a country where businesses thrive – small and large alike. Clear regulatory frameworks and protections. A legal system that sets high standards around the globe. A location that means we can speak to our colleagues in the Americas or Asia in the same day. A high ranking in the Global Innovation Index every year. Our wonderful global language. Our world-renowned sport and culture. This great modern city, all around us.” 

The prime minister was addressing high-profile attendees, including executives from Google, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and GSK, reflecting the United Kingdom’s push to position itself as a leading destination for international investment. The summit provided a platform for announcing new policies to boost foreign capital in the U.K.

Our findings contradict the claims circulating on social media, confirming that the quote attributed to him has been misrepresented. Further, we also did a Google search to see whether Starmer recently called London a “great Muslim city,” but our search yielded no results.

Logically Facts has contacted the Prime Minister’s office for clarification; this story will be updated when we receive a response.

The verdict

In his speech, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described London as a “great modern city” and did not say “Muslims” throughout his address. Thus, his quote about London was misinterpreted.