Events

Voices for Equity – Parliamentary Launch Event

Earlier this week, we had a full house in Parliament for the launch of our major new report, Race and Fairness in Fractious Times: Public Priorities for Racial Equity.

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the report reveals that people from all backgrounds agree that Britain is losing ground on racial equality.

Minister for Equalities Satvir Kaur joined us for the event and spoke about the importance of using research to bring communities together at a critical time, as well as the need for more open dialogue.

The MP for Southampton Test also reflected on why the issue of race and equality is both a professional and personal priority for her. As the first South Asian woman to serve as Equalities Minister, she spoke about how she identifies with and understands many of the experiences explored in our new report.

Dr Barbara Adewumi led the evening, presenting the report’s key findings before introducing an excellent panel comprising Seema Malhotra MP, Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston; Albie Amankona, broadcaster and political commentator; Timi Okuwa, CEO of Black Equity Organisation; and British Future’s Sunder Katwala.

The discussion was chaired by Professor Sir Patrick Vernon, who throughout the evening drew on his own lived experience and expertise to explore why this is such a critical moment for difficult and necessary conversations.

“We need to ask ourselves whether communities across the UK have lost the sense of community and solidarity. It feels as if, in certain parts of the country, the solidarity of the 70s and 80s has been lost.”

The conversation explored the mood of the country and the challenges facing communities today.

Seema Malhotra spoke about the importance of challenging racist narratives collectively, highlighting concerns about the way history is being represented:

“Far-right politics are rewriting history in ways and ‘whitewashing’ the history of those ethnic minorities who fought for Britain.”

Broadcaster and political commentator Albie Amankona spoke about the importance of ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard. He highlighted the shared frustration being experienced by both ethnic minority and white communities, arguing that these concerns should not be dismissed.

Reflecting on his own experience of racism, including racist comments in his online mentions, Albie spoke about the importance of having both professional support and personal networks to draw on when experiencing prejudice. Sharing his experience as someone who is half Ghanaian, he spoke about the strength he has drawn from his father.

As he put it: “Racism is…an issue of right and wrong and not Left and Right.” 

Timi Okuwa, CEO of Black Equity Organisation, spoke about the importance of influencing policy while also building unity across communities:

“There is a growing narrative of the far right in the UK but also there are still lots of liberals, there are still people in the UK that feel responsible and keen for racial justice. One of the key points that I really liked is the idea of universal policy, putting in policy that supports all communities is key. Bringing together the views of white communities and ethnic minorities is vital to working together for a fairer society.”

Much of the discussion focused on practical ways to create change — from fairer recruitment and better support for people from all backgrounds experiencing prejudice, to creating safe spaces where communities can openly challenge situations in which they feel unsupported or unheard.

Director of British Future, Sunder Katwala, said: “The mood is fractious  and getting polarised. These are tough economic times, so the worry about whether somebody. The online and media environment can speed everything up. There are actors abroad committed to stirring things up in our society. We need to not only diagnose why this is such a challenging but to identify how to respond to turn things around.“

“There is a need for stronger leadership. Keir Starmer came to power two years ago hoping that if the government did not fuel divisions, then things might calm down. What we have seen shows that it will take more active leadership to defuse tensions. This research shows that there is a strong public appetite for a stronger defence – but a more challenging task of bridging different perceptions about fairness and who feels heard and unheard.”

Sir Patrick Vernon ended the evening with a moment of silence in honour of Professor Jason Arday. 

The evening was a powerful reminder of the importance of listening, creating space for honest conversations and finding common ground across communities as we work towards a fairer society.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an important and thoughtful discussion and thank you to Max Wilkinson MP for hosting.