Runnymede and Partners: a Manifesto for Race Equality in Britain

Brexit, immigration, British identity:  how these issues play out in this snap election will determine the country’s direction for a generation.

The Runnymede Trust and partners have launched a May 2017 Manifesto for Race Equality in Britain to ensure BME voices are heard.

The Manifesto call for a government-wide race equality strategy to root out racial inequality, before and after Brexit.  In particular:

  • A comprehensive race equality strategy and a UK civil rights law to reduce all areas of race inequality
  • Companies (more than 50 staff) should publish data on the BME pay gap and the breakdown of their workforce by ethnicity and gender
  • Introduce a national plan to tackle ethnic inequalities in housing, including overcrowding, and crack down on discrimination by rental lettings agents and landlords
  • Carry out a root and branch overhaul of the criminal justice system to tackle racial disproportionality
  • The Government should address the lack of BME representation in teaching and learn about the experiences of BME staff, and also introduce a ring-fenced fund to raise the attainment of disadvantaged children
  • Close the health inequalities experienced by BME communities, such as outcomes for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and mental health

And:

  • The negotiations to exit Europe must be race equality audited to protect BME communities against discrimination and promote race equality
  • Public Sector Equality Duty should be strengthened, to require government not merely to measure how their policies increase inequalities, but also propose mitigating measures to ensure all citizens are in fact treated equally
  • The Government should establish an independent review of the operation, impact and outcomes of the Prevent duty, with particular reference to possible conflict with equality and human rights legislation
  • Introduce a specific offence of online hate and work more proactively with social media companies to limit incitement to racial and religious hatred
  • There must be no discrimination between EU and non-EU migrants
  • The history of immigration to Britain is made a statutory part of the national curriculum

The collection of race equality organisations includes:  Operation Black Vote; Runnymede Trust; Aspire Education Group; Coreplan; Ukren; BTEG; Friends, Families and Travellers; BSWN; Father 2 Father; DWC Global; Reallity; Voyage Youth; Race on the Agenda; Every Generation Media; BARAC; JUST Yorkshire; Society of Black Lawyers; Race Equality Foundation; Bernie Grant Trust, and Blacksox.

Read the full manifesto, or the Runnymede introduction.

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