CorpComms Magazine

London's image may have been damaged as a direct result of the riots that took place last week in the capital, according to a survey of PR professionals carried out by the PRCA.

More than half (63 per cent) of those surveyed agreed that London's image had been negatively impacted by the riots, but 84 per cent believed that the damage would be short-term.

The majority of respondents did not feel that the riots would affect any Olympic related deals, and just eight per cent of those surveyed believed that the riots will lead to a decline in corporate investments in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

One part of the survey involved a rating system, which required the respondents to rate, on a scale of one to five, MPs on the effectiveness of their response to the riots.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson gained the highest score with an average rating of 2.33. Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London and current Labour party candidate for the London mayoral election in 2012, gained the lowest average score of just 1.35, and Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, averaged at 2.04. Ed Milliband, Labour party leader and David Cameron, the prime minister, both gained an average score of 2.01.

Francis Ingham, chief executive of PRCA, said: 'The riots have been a PR disaster for London and its leaders... we have the most talented PR in the world, let's use it.'

The riots began on 6 August following the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan by a Metropolitan Police officer two days prior to the disorder.

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