Gloucestershire Council backs plans to tackle racism
Civic leaders have given their full support to the creation of a new independent body to tackle racism in the county.
Gloucester City Council resolved to set up a commission to review local race relations in 2020.
This came after councillors passed a cross-party motion in support of Black Lives Matter after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin in the USA that year.
The commission has now completed its report which shines a spotlight on discrimination and prejudice and highlights the challenges racially minoritised people face day-to-day.
It also highlighted the experiences of local people following a call for evidence, which asked Gloucester residents for their experiences of racism and discrimination in the city.
This includes discriminatory hiring practices by employers, a lack of access to interpreters in public services, and racist comments and micro-aggressions towards racially minoritised people.
The review recommends the establishment of an independent, permanent, funded and high profile legacy institution for Gloucestershire to tackle these issues.
And now Gloucester City Council has unanimously backed the proposals.
Council leader Richard Cook (Con, Kingsway) said the proposals have also received support from Leadership Gloucestershire.
He told a council meeting on January 27 that the commission was made up of a cross section of representatives from local communities and organisations such as the NHS, the University of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Police.
“The commission was headed by local businessman and social entrepreneur Rupert Walters,” he said.
“The report looked at several key areas including the criminal justice system, health inequalities such as mental health and diabetes, education and representation in senior roles across the county.”
Councillor Terry Pullen (Lab, Moreland) said the report recognises there are generally good race relations across Gloucester.
He said the council should take a lead in addressing the issues which have been highlighted.
“This is something we should celebrate and recognise but it also recognises there is evidence of race inequalities,” he said.
“It’s worrying that many people from racially minoritised groups do still experience racism on the streets of our city.”
Councillor Declan Wilson (Lib Dem, Hucclecote) said it was an honour to take part in the commission.
He said the council must now ensure something positive comes out of the report.
“Public servants in Gloucestershire are aware of the existing race inequalities and many are working with positive intent to make changes.
“But we have a particular responsibility to make sure this report gets acted on.
“There are some big challenges here.”
The council has also committed to setting out a countywide vision for workforce equality in the public sector.
This would involve putting in place measures to monitor workforce equality, including pay.
They also want to deliver initiatives such as Gloucestershire ‘stepping up’ programme for aspiring leaders from racially minoritised backgrounds.
The council has also committed to putting in place measures and driving the required changes in culture and mindsets to ensure the collection and use of comprehensive and high-quality ethnicity data is used in planning and delivering public sector services.