We, the members of the Coalition of Race Equality organisations (CORE) are saddened and dismayed, but not surprised, by the recent attacks on the Runnymede Trust.
These attacks, which were continued from the floor of the House of Commons today, are concerted attempt to stifle the organisation’s attempts to do its work.
Runnymede was set up in 1968 to work towards the goal of racial equality in this country – a goal which we all share. This work will naturally involve calling the Government of the day to account.
In the last 12 months, news events around the world have shone a light on just how damaging the effects of racial inequity can be.
The COVID pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter movement have revealed these issues to be, quite literally, a matter of life and death.
But the recent report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has shown that the current Government does not wish to engage with the real lived experiences of this country’s ethnic minority population and would rather create their own narrative with their own ‘alternative facts’.
At this critical time, when the Government should be supporting those organisations working at the coal-face to make racial equality a reality, they are instead trying to bully and intimidate any dissenting voices.
We stand shoulder to shoulder with The Runnymede Trust, as we know that an attack on one of us, is an attack on all of us.
Yours sincerely,
CORE (Coalition of Race Equality Organisations)
CORE, the Coalition of Race Equality Organisations, is comprised of a number of the leading organisations within the UK Black Asian and Minority Ethnic, voluntary and community sector. CORE acts as a collective voice to lobby government, influence policy, and raise awareness of issues of inequality that permeate society. Priority areas include housing, health, criminal justice, education, employment, and political engagement and representation.