Labour Councillors Deliver Action to Combat Racial Inequality

Labour Councillors at Warwickshire County Council have successfully passed a motion to investigate race inequalities across Warwickshire in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The motion called for a cross party Task and Finish group to be set up to investigate race inequalities across Warwickshire, both internally within the County Council and to meet the needs of BAME communities within Warwickshire.

The motion recognised the systemic disadvantages suffered by Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in health, educational and employment outcomes and opportunities. The Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted that the BAME community has been disproportionately affected with higher mortality and infection rates.

The motion received unanimous support and will now be set in motion.

Leader of the Labour Group, Helen Adkins, who proposed the motion, said “This is a vital step forward for combatting racial inequality in Warwickshire and I welcome the unanimous support we received. We have delivered real action and I am proud of that.

However, our action cannot stop here. We should ask ourselves what more we can do to oppose and eradicate injustice and discrimination wherever we see it rear its ugly head. There are still many injustices to overcome but as leaders in our communities, we have an important role to play in challenging inequality.”

Cllr Mini Mangat, Labour Councillor in Warwick District (WDC) delivered a supporting statement for the motion. Councillor Mangat is the Chair of Task & Finish Group on this topic at WDC and has spoken at the Black Lives Matter protests in Leamington, which attracted hundreds of local people.

Mini Mangat said “I support this motion on the pressing and urgent issues posed by racial discrimination and inequality. I am in no doubt that WCC takes its obligations to equality and diversity seriously but that is not enough, council has a responsibility to take action that will contribute to the eradication of racial discrimination… WCC must move beyond compliance; it is not enough to be non-racist, WCC must act on being systemically and overtly anti-racist.”