Mr Coban went on to claim that “94 per cent of young, black Londoners don’t know how to swim”, though the mayor’s office later clarified for the Standard that he was misspeaking, and was instead referring to the fact that, according to Sport England, 95 per cent of black adults and 80 per cent of black children do not swim - regardless of whether they know how to or not.
Deputy mayor: 'Swimmable rivers' are a matter of 'racial justice' Sir Sadiq Khan’s plan to create “swimmable rivers” across London within the next decade will play an important role in delivering “social and racial justice” in the capital, his deputy mayor for the environment has claimed.
Sport England states that the same is also true of 93 per cent of Asian (excluding Chinese) adults, and 78 per cent of Asian (excluding Chinese) children.
Speaking to the Assembly’s environment committee, Mr Coban confirmed that the mayor’s ambition is for all of London’s waterways to be brought up to a “swimmable” standard, in terms of cleanliness, by 2034 - though he cautioned that not all would necessarily be safe or suitable for swimming due to tides, depth and other factors.
Deputy mayor Mete Coban told the London Assembly this week that the plan was not only about improving water quality, but also ensuring an improved level of access to swimming for some of the city’s most deprived communities.
