The Lib Dem manifesto, launched earlier today, includes several ideas to make Britain a more racially-equal society.
Black and minority ethnic (BAME) people will be voting on all the main issues, like Europe, the economy, education and health. But polls show that BAME communities are more concerned about ‘security’ issues like unemployment, and about equality.
Our new manifesto offers some serious proposals to address some fundamental causes of racial unfairness in society. This shows that Lib Dems are keen to walk the walk on equality.
That we don’t just believe that everyone is equal, but we understand the challenges faced by those who suffer inequality and, in partnership with BAME communities, we are committed to doing something about it.
Large companies to monitor and publish data on BAME employment and pay gaps
The Equality Act requires all companies with over 250 staff to do this for gender. Extending this to race can make a big difference to tackling racial biases in the jobs market, which is the main cause of many unequal life chances faced by BAME families. It will focus minds of top management to ask why unfair outcomes are happening, which they might not have even been aware of, and find solutions to deal with those disparities. Importantly, Lib Dems are also committing to closing inequality gaps revealed by the published data.
Reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system
BAME people are more likely to have their life chances severely curtailed in their youth and early adulthood due to being disproportionately sucked into the criminal justice system with police targeting stop and searches on them. Studies also reveal that BAME offenders are more likely to get custodial and longer sentences than White offenders for the same crime. Lib Dems are pledging to seriously consider upcoming recommendations of the government review being led by David Lammy MP. He has already delivered an interim report.
Increase the number of apprenticeships from BAME backgrounds
Lib Dems also aim to ensure gender balance across industry sectors. A focus on ethnic representation in apprenticeships is welcome. Under the Conservatives just 9.5% of 2 million were BAME even though 26% of applicants were. The proportion of secondary school pupils who are BAME is even higher than that, so urgent action is needed to stop apprenticeships turning into the first major barrier of unfairness faced by young and diverse talent.
One BAME candidate on every public appointment shortlist
We already know that BAME jobseekers with foreign-sounding names have to send twice as many CVs to get an interview compared to equally-qualified people with an ‘English’ name. The same problem applies to public appointments. Lib Dems want a presumption that a BAME person is on the shortlist. This implies that appointment panels will have to consciously decide that no BAME applicants were able to do the job well before going with an all-White shortlist. Again, the process will focus minds and help dismantle unconscious biases.
Introduce a government-wide plan to tackle racial inequalities and strengthen the equalities watchdog
The Lib Dem manifesto proposes a government-wide plan to tackle BAME inequalities. This goes further than the Tories, who have ordered an audit of racial disparities but have no plan to address the causes of the inequality. We also call for a review of the effectiveness and funding of the watchdog that promotes and enforces equalities laws, the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This body has been cut and sidelined by the Tories.
Introduce legislation to allow for all-BAME parliamentary shortlists
Lib Dems want to enable political parties to run all-BAME and all-LGBT+ shortlists if they want to. Currently the law covers all-women and all-disability shortlists. The change will need secondary legislation to amend the Equality Act.
* Lester Holloway is a former councillor and member of the Equalities Policy Working Group, and a member of the Race Equality Taskforce
