Present: Ed Davey, Natalie Chindipa, Julliet Makhapila and Lisa Brett
1. On behalf of BLAC Lib Dems Julliet offered welcome and thanks to Ed Davey and Natalie Chindipa, expressing BLAC LD keenest to work with both to deliver a more diverse and inclusive Party
2. Why BLAC Lib Dems
Julliet explained 19.5% of the British population is from an ethnic minority background. For all Britain’s forward movement in promoting racial equality, Black people in Britain are still being disproportionately excluded from social protection systems, economic uplift, and representative democracy, while facing shorter lifespans, lower educational attainment, and dramatic over criminalisation and imprisonment compared to their White counterparts.
Having a BLAC Liberal Democrat’s brings with it many benefits to the Party. BLAC Lib Dems aims to support the Party to be representative of modern Britain. We hope the formation of BLAC will;
- lead to higher Black membership retention rates
- Educate the Party about Black issues through internal events, panels, and more
- support targeted policy development
- identify and help develop internal leaders by serving as a Black talent pipeline
- help the Party recruit Black members
BLAC works to complement and support the work being undertaken by LDCRE and our formation has enjoyed a warm reception from Roderick.
In 2019, Labour received the lion’s share of ethnic minority votes at 64%, the Conservatives got 20%, a rising figure, and the Lib Dems received 12%. When selecting parliamentary candidates, 12% of candidates selected by the Conservative Party were minority ethnic people, and almost 10% of Labour chosen candidates were minority ethnic, the Lib Dems selected less than 6%.
BLAC Lib Dems are unapologetically pro-Black in our positioning, highlighting issues unique to Black Briton – the most underserved demographic in Britain today – but BLAC also strongly believes that when Black Briton thrives, then the U.K thrives with it. Positive changes in the lives of Black Britons will result in positive changes for all of Britain.
3. Lisa provided an update on BLAC Lib Dems Activity to date
Lisa explained that BLAC Lib Dems have produced four documents;
1. BLAC Lib Dems policy agenda (a lengthy document we are in the process of consolidating)
2. BLAC Lib Dems guide to racial micro-aggressions
3. BLAC Lib Dems guide to being a strong White ally, and
4. BLAC Lib Dems guide to increasing the diversity of your membership
We have circulated these documents to all Lib Dems MPs, but no one has commented on any of them yet.
We will shortly be posting a file to each of the MP’s constituency offices with a challenge. We are asking each MP’s office to come up with one BLAC Lib Dem policy proposal, taken from our policy agenda, and convert it into a conference motion that they are willing to support and speak to at the Party conference.
Ed expressed his regret in not having seen any of the documents in circulation.
4. Community visit – Julliet
Julliet stated that BLAC is looking forward to introducing Ed to a number of Black run businesses and community groups, and asked Ed to clarify
a. What Covid-19 precautions should be taken (by yourself and people visited)?
b. We have been told you want to spend 4hours, is that still correct?
b. What types of businesses and community groups are you particularly interested in?
c. What information are you seeking from these engagements?
d. What date have you in mind?
Ed said how keen he was to engage with more Black members and that he wanted to see more Black Lib Dems standing in target seats. He is aware more needs to be done to achieve a Party than represents the diversity of modern Britain.
Ed would like to include a community meeting, arranged by BLAC, as part of his listening tour, and asked us to reach out to the organising team at HQ. Ed is particularly keen to meet religious groups (Ed mentioned Church Groups, but we feel Britains Black Muslim community should also be included)
Ed is keen for BLAC Lib Dems to engage with Wendy Chamberlian in progressing our BLAC Lib Dems policy document, and in having MP’s convert sections of the policy into motions for the Party conference. ACTION: BLAC Lib Dems to set up a meeting with Wendy Chamberlian
5. Issues raised by our members – Lisa and Julliet
Lisa acknowledged that many of these issues aren’t directly under Ed’s control and fall to the English Party, but BLAC felt it important to share with Ed the issues BLAC Lib Dems talk about.
1. Julliet raised poor advertising and little guidance on applying for internal posts within the Regional and English Party. BLAC Lib Dems are fully aware of where the blockages reside to a more inclusive Party. BLAC would like to position themselves to dismantle these barriers.
However, BLAC Lib Dem activists feel they have been blocked by a protective ‘Old Guard’ who keep the path to membership of committees deliberately obtuse.
2. Lisa raised a lack of legal challenge to section 104 of the Equalities Act, acknowledging that for financial reasons, the Federal or English Party rarely, if ever, consults with more than one Q.C.
BLAC Liberal Democrats have consulted three Barristers all of whom disagree with the conclusion of the Q.C employed by the Federal Party with regards the Party’s selection arrangements for Westminster candidates, yet these three Barristers opinions aren’t taken into consideration.
BLAC knows Ed personally supports the Rooney Rule, so we are surprised that Ed hasn’t fought the Party to seek the most rigorous and robust legal challenge.
3. Julliet raised the still broken complaints process.
a. As far as BLAC is aware, the Party has never upheld a complaint of colour prejudice by a member.
b. White Lib Dems really aren’t the best people to preside over complaints of racism, yet they fail to consult Black people (either as members or external diversity consultants) when processing complaints that directly impact Black members. BLAC doesn’t know about other ethnic minorities, but the White English Party seems to think BME is one harmonious group, failing to acknowledge prejudices exist among minority groups as well.
c. There is no definition of acceptable behaviour with regard to racism. For example, we know of a Party member who strongly refutes that Blank people are disadvantaged in Britain today, they deny the existence of Black Briton as a community, deny unconscious bias is real, and deny White privilege. This person is deeply offensive to members of BLAC, but no one can make a complaint. No Party rule has been broken, since his opinions are his own, and express ‘colour blindness’ rather than overt racism.
d. There are still unacceptable delays and phycological abuses happening in the Party complaints process.
6. Denial of race as an issue within the Party
Lisa stated that the BLAC Lib Dems know the majority of White Lib Dems are diversity-loving, inclusive people who stand against racism. Lisa highlighted that the Liberal Democrats regard themselves as the Party for fairness and equality and, as such, no member likes to regard themselves or their Party as guilty of racism.
BLAC Lib Dems continue to feel that too many Lib Dem activists will condemn racism, yet fail to call out, or even notice, a host of microaggressions within the Party, often dismissing Black member’s experiences by advising, ‘don’t make too big of a deal of it’. Academic research supports the experience of BLAC members in finding that too often, rather than attribute racial microaggression to racial bias they prefer to minimise it as a simple misunderstanding.
And even when you can get Lib Dems to acknowledge the possibility of bias within the Party, no one is guilty of it. It’s as if we can just about acknowledge the sin, but no one in the Party is the sinner.
This is because most White Lib Dems associate racism with hate crimes and White supremacists groups, we are unaware of how bias and discrimination have taken on an invisible nature that protects members from realizing their own complicity in the perpetuation of unintentional racism toward Black and ethnic minority members. As Lib Dems, we must learn not to take accusations about racism in our Party personally. If some Party members think there’s a problem, then this doesn’t detract from the fundamental Liberal Democrat values that brought us all together in the first place.
We are looking to Ed to change the narrative around race in the Party, opening acknowledging we have an internal cultural problem that needs to be addressed.