While we support key government priorities such as equitable economic growth, clean energy, public safety, and healthcare reform, we emphasise the need for targeted action to address longstanding racial disparities across these areas. This includes protecting frontline services, addressing housing inequality, ensuring environmental justice, and promoting equitable reform in policing, education, and healthcare.
Our recommendations aim to create a fairer, more inclusive society for BGM communities.
- ‘Kickstart Economic Growth’
Over recent weeks, the Government has clearly signalled that we are to expect significant spending cuts in the upcoming Autumn budget (as per the Financial Times and the Guardian). Whilst the economic challenges facing the country are undeniable, we must implore the Government to avoid further spending cuts to frontline services, particularly those utilised by Black and Global Majority (BGM) Britons. Research has consistently shown that the austerity policies of the last 14 years have disproportionately affected BGM communities, who have struggled with significant cuts to frontline services such as mental health provision, and housing support, which were exacerbated by the economic effects of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. As the groups most likely to rely on these services, our communities cannot afford further reductions to their functionality.
The Government’s plans to expand the building of new homes are very welcome, as are commitments to ensure that a significant proportion of new homes are affordable. We strongly encourage the Government to consider legislating on the housing crisis from the perspective of BGM groups in the UK. Research from the GLA has shown that Black communities in London alone “experience worse housing conditions, less tenure security, higher rates of housing need, worse affordability and lower wealth than White Londoners”, with this situation echoed across the four nations. Our own research from 2022 (in collaboration with Herriot-Watt University) has shown that Black Britons across the UK are almost 3.5 times more likely to experience statutory homelessness that comparative White groups.
Any new policies must seek to tackle the widening housing inequalities between the UK’s BGM and White communities, which also extend to issues of home ownership, central to Labour’s vision for economic growth. A recent report from Positive Money shows that homeownership amongst BGM groups has fallen by 8.5% since 2001, compared to just 3.1% for comparative White groups, whilst 14% of BGM households are overcrowded. This is echoed in Home Office figures from 2023, which shows that Black and Arab groups have the lowest rates of homeownership in the country. When considered in conjunction with the above-noted disparities throughout the housing sector and access to frontline services, we would like to make the following policy recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Protect and expand funding for frontline services for BGM communities:
The Government must safeguard and expand funding for vital frontline services, including mental health provision, housing support, and employment services, which disproportionately serve Black and Global Majority (BGM) communities. Cuts to these services would further exacerbate the systemic inequalities faced by BGM Britons. Instead of reducing funding, the Government should ensure that these services are fully resourced to meet the specific needs of BGM communities.
Recommendation 2: Legislate for Racial Equity in Housing and Create a BGM Housing Equality Taskforce:
The Government must address the racial disparities in housing by introducing legislation that explicitly targets the housing inequalities faced by BGM groups, such as higher rates of homelessness, overcrowding, and reduced homeownership. This should include mandatory racial impact assessments for all housing policies and stronger protections for BGM renters. Additionally, the creation of a BGM Housing Equality Taskforce, comprising representatives from local councils, housing experts, and community organisations, will ensure ongoing oversight, accountability, and targeted solutions.
- ‘Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower’
We are broadly supportive of the Government’s plans to invest in renewable energies and green infrastructure, particularly given the disproportionate effects of the climate emergency on members of the Black and Global Majority community worldwide. However, we would also like to encourage the Government to have greater consideration for the negative impacts of ecological issues for BGM communities within the UK. A report commissioned by Natural England in 2019 revealed that members of the UK’s BGM communities were exposed to a significantly higher concentration of environmental pollutants than comparative White groups (estimates for some pollutants were between 12% and 29% higher for BGM communities). These findings are echoed in a 2023 study conducted by the GLA, leading the Race Equality Foundation to comment that “Air pollution is one of the biggest health risks we face right now in the UK”. Urgent work is needed to ensure the safety and health of our communities in the face of disproportionate pollution exposure.
We also commend the Government’s commitment to addressing fuel poverty in the UK. However, we would like to see greater strides made to eliminate the inequalities faced by BGM communities in this area. Despite reductions over the 11 years from 2010, a Government report from 2022 nonetheless noted that BGM families remained almost twice as likely as White groups to be in fuel poverty. These findings were echoed by independent researchers in 2022. As such, robust action in this area is urgently needed. In order to address both of the above points, we would like to make the following policy recommendations:
Recommendation 3: Appoint an Oversight Group and Implement Environmental Justice Policies for BGM Communities:
The Government should establish an oversight group to address the disproportionate pollution exposure in Black and Global Majority (BGM) communities. This group would ensure stricter regulations on industrial emissions, enhanced air quality monitoring, and investment in green infrastructure, prioritising areas most impacted by environmental hazards.
Recommendation 4: Create a Fuel Poverty Action Plan Focused on BGM Communities:
The Government should develop a targeted action plan to reduce fuel poverty among BGM households, including increased access to energy-efficient home upgrades, financial assistance, and equitable inclusion in energy support programs, with clear tracking of progress in these communities.
- ‘Take Back our Streets’
Whilst we agree that drastically reducing instances of knife crime and anti-social behaviour should be priorities for Britain’s police forces, it is our position that our police forces are not currently capable of carrying out these or other operational priorities in a just and equitable manner. Research has consistently shown that the UK’s police forces disproportionately target our minoritised communities, including in instances of stop and search, and deaths whilst in police custody. A host of recent independent reports have pointed to the institutional racism and sexism entrenched within British policing, the lack of accountability for in-custody deaths, and the need for a complete overhaul of British police forces more broadly.
We echo the recommendations made within these individual reports, and would like to add the following recommendation:
Recommendation 5: Appoint an Expert Civilian Panel to Scrutinise and Oversee the Work of British Police Forces and the IOPC
This panel would consist of experts and representatives from minoritised communities. It would have the authority to oversee police practices, investigate instances of misconduct, and ensure accountability within both police forces and the IOPC. The panel’s oversight would aim to restore public trust and promote fair and equitable policing practices across the UK.
- ‘Break down Barriers to Opportunity’
We commend the Government for their focus on family security in addressing barriers to opportunity. However, any measures to address these issues will ultimately be hindered if the Government continue to uphold the inhumane two-child benefit cap. Recent research has shown that, in England alone, 40% of households affected by the cap are from the BGM community, a figure which is drastically disproportionate. These issues are even more stark considering that BGM children are already nearly twice as likely as White children to be in poverty, according to data from the CPAG.
Similarly, action is needed to address housing issues which threaten family security and present further barriers to opportunity for BGM children. BGM families are far more likely to be in rented accommodation, and Black families in particular are three times as likely to be in social housing than their White counterparts. As such, issues with poor quality, unsafe housing and disrepair affect our communities disproportionately. These have led to unacceptable cases of injury and loss of life, including that of three-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in Rochdale as a result of the black mould in his social housing flat. We need to see drastic action in this area if we are to equip children to reach their full potential.
We welcome the Government’s decision to prioritise hiring new teaching staff in order to address the significant shortfall in our schools. However, we would like to join calls from the Runnymede Trust for a concerted effort to tackle racism within our schools, including through the recruitment and progression of BGM staff. Without proper representation in the sector, particularly at Senior Leadership level, it is unlikely that racism within the schools sector will be properly addressed, an issue of significant national importance, given the recently-reported rise in racist incidents across all school Key Stages. We also welcome moves to re-assess the national curriculum. We hope that the Government will take this opportunity to consult with experts to address the significant problems with the representation of BGM groups throughout curricula and school resources.
We also welcome the Government’s commitment to reform the Further and Higher Education Sectors. We would also like to highlight that these reforms should also work to address issues faced by BGM students within these sectors, leading to significantly higher dropout rates for members of our communities, as highlighted in two recent reports of ours from 2019 and 2023.
To address the above issues, we would like to make the following policy recommendations:
Recommendation 6: Abolish the Two-Child Benefit Cap:
The Government should eliminate the two-child benefit cap, which disproportionately impacts BGM families and worsens child poverty. Lifting the cap would directly improve family security and opportunities for BGM children.
Recommendation 7: Improve Social Housing Safety for BGM Families:
Introduce stricter regulations to address unsafe, poor-quality social housing where BGM families are overrepresented. Immediate action is needed to prevent further tragedies and ensure all children grow up in safe, healthy homes.
Recommendation 8: Increase BGM Representation in Education Leadership:
The Government must boost recruitment and promotion of BGM staff in schools, especially in Senior Leadership roles, to address systemic racism and create a more inclusive learning environment.
Recommendation 9: Revise the National Curriculum for Better BGM Representation, and Introduce Robust Protection for Pupils
Collaborate with experts to update the curriculum, ensuring BGM histories and contributions are adequately represented, promoting inclusivity and understanding in schools. We also recommend that racist incidents within school settings are addressed through broader safeguarding frameworks, in order to ensure more robust protection for BGM pupils suffering from racist abuse in the classroom.
Recommendation 10: Reduce BGM Dropout Rates in Higher Education:
Target reforms in further and higher education to address the higher dropout rates among BGM students by providing tailored support, mentorship, and financial aid.
Finally, we are happy to note the Government’s commitment to introducing a new Race Equality Act, and look forward to hearing more details about the contents and implementation of the Act.
- ‘Build an NHS Fit for the Future’
We are broadly supportive of the Government’s pledge to close the maternal mortality gap for Black and Asian mothers. This issue has not received the attention that it desperately needs, and we look forward to inspecting the Government’s plans to address the maternal mortality gap more closely. We also hope the Government will take this opportunity to also address other forms of health inequality which affect BGM communities. A report from the King’s Fund in 2023 found that “people from the White Gypsy or Irish Traveller, Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities have the poorest health outcomes across a range of indicators”, and that alongside maternal mortality, instances of cardiovascular disease and diabetes are also highest in Black and South Asian Groups. These findings echo those from a 2022 report from the NHS Race and Health Observatory, the authors of which found that people from BGM backgrounds had received a lack of appropriate NHS treatment, discriminatory or poor quality treatment from staff, missing data on ethnic monitoring, and a lack of access to interpreting services. They ultimately concluded that many people from ethnic minorities may delay or avoid seeking help because they fear racist treatment from NHS professionals.
We also welcome the Government’s commitment to overhauling the Mental Health Act, and to addressing the over-representation of BGM individuals detained under the Act. We encourage the Government to work closely with experts in this area, such as the Black Mental Health Manifesto, in order to ensure that any new measures are genuinely effective and equitable.
Finally, we call on the Government to urgently reframe discussions on BGM and migrant workers who are essential to effective operation of our NHS. The recent general election campaign saw both the leaders of both parties in broad agreement that migration figures were ‘too high’, contributing to an already toxic public discourse on migrants and migration. For workers in the NHS in particular, the negative effects of this discussion are clear. A 2022 survey for the BMA found that over 90% of Black and Asian NHS staff considered racism in the NHS to be an issue. 76% of those surveyed had experienced racism at least once in the past year, with 17% responding that they experience racism regularly. A 2019 survey also found that 45% of BGM NHS staff did not feel there was respect for diversity nor a culture of inclusion in their main place of work. For a service that so heavily relies on migrant workers, it is essential that the Government take decisive action to address incidences of racism within the NHS, and takes the lead to de-politicise discussions on migration more generally.
We would therefore like to make the following policy recommendations;
Recommendation 11: Broaden Focus on BGM Health Inequalities:
Expand efforts beyond maternal mortality to also address higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and poor health outcomes in BGM communities, with better data collection and equitable access to care.
Recommendation 12: Ensure Equitable Reform of the Mental Health Act:
Collaborate with experts to ensure Mental Health Act reforms address the over-representation of BGM individuals in detentions and promote culturally competent care.
Recommendation 13: Combat Racism in the NHS and Reframe Migration Discussions
Establish an independent oversight committee to address racism in the NHS and promote a culture of inclusion. Simultaneously, lead efforts to de-politicise migration discussions, recognising the vital contributions of BGM and migrant workers to the healthcare system.
– Position statement ends –
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