Sadiq Khan – 2021 Comments on 10th Anniversary of Disorder in London

The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 6 August 2021.

Our city has been through a lot since the disorder of summer 2011, and there is no escaping the reality that some of the complex and entrenched causes of the riots – inequality, poverty, lack of opportunity and the need for better relations between our police and London’s diverse communities – remain.

It’s crucial we tackle these challenges head on by advocating for increased funding and support to help regenerate the most deprived parts of our city. I have also made delivering better opportunities for young people in those disadvantaged neighbourhoods a cornerstone of my Mayoralty.

Young people need constructive things to do, that is why I’ve already invested in positive opportunities for more than 110,000 young Londoners, supporting them into education, training, culture and sports and diverting them away from criminal gangs and violence. I have also developed an Action Plan, in consultation with communities, to improve trust and confidence in the Metropolitan police to address concerns about the disproportionate use of certain police powers, particularly those affecting Black Londoners. But it’s clear we need to do much more.

As Mayor, I am committed to securing a better future for all Londoners and ensuring that nobody is left behind. That’s why I launched London’s biggest regeneration fund which has so far invested more than £75 million to 138 innovative regeneration projects with a strong emphasis on business support and making a difference on the ground in local communities – particularly those most impacted by the disorder.