Warwick and Leamington Labour Party The Warwick and Leamington Constituency Labour Party Official Website.
The Labour group showed their immense commitment to the crucial issue of tackling racial discrimination in the District and through cross party co-operation our motion was passed tonight.
During the meeting, Labour Group Deputy Leader, Councillor Mini Mangat who proposed this motion said “The brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has caused grief, anger and has sent shockwaves across the globe including here in Warwick District.
We as a Council must move beyond compliance, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must act on being systemically and overtly anti-racist. Anti-racism like any form of progression must be consciously intentional, it must be more than a declaration it must be a demonstration. To champion this fight against racism we must listen and learn from members of our communities and use these conversations and dialogue to catalyse action and change within our District”
Also during the meeting, Cllr Jonathan Nicholls, Labour Group Leader said “The world is shifting on its axis and just as we have all supported the urgency of climate change with a real commitment to an action plan, so must we respond to race inequality, which is a growing societal emergency.
It is shameful that inequality is so persistent in societies across the world. Research shows time and again that companies and organisations with diverse boards and senior teams perform better against all measures of value.”
The Labour group is proud to have played a leading role in the bringing of this serious issue to Council, and look forward to working with residents, communities, other councils and other stakeholders to bring forward positive anti-racism actions to work towards eradicating racial inequality.
"The root cause of the protests is the systemic disadvantage suffered by the Black community. Before I go into the motion itself, I leave you with a thought, why is ending racism even a debate.” Mini Mangat, District Councillor for Leamington Willes
Motion – This Council
(1) reaffirms its commitment not to tolerate discrimination in any form, as defined in
the Equality Act 2010;
(2) will engage actively with both individuals and groups within the local BAME
community in Warwick District to identify ways in which the Council can
overcome the many disadvantages experienced by those communities;
(3) requests that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee establish a Task and Finish
Group. The Task and Finish Group would be charged with undertaking a review of the Council’s approach to equality and diversity, especially with regard to race. Its report to the Committee would include an action plan with a view to the Executive adopting the Committee’s recommendations in the report and its action plan. The progress and outcomes of the action plan would be monitored by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with the expectation that measurable improvements would be made by 2023;
(4) proposes that, in order to support its consideration of the report and the monitoring of the action plan, the Council requires the publication of relevant annual data, including an Ethnicity Pay Gap report alongside the current Gender Pay Gap report.
(5) resolves to work with other councils, authorities, and organisations to deliver its commitment to overcoming racial discrimination and inequality.