appoints Baroness as race relations adviser
and launches review into coronavirus impact on black, Asian and
minority ethnic communities.
has appointed campaigner and
Labour peer to the post of race
relations adviser and tasked her with leading a review into the
impact of coronavirus on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME)
communities.
One of the country's foremost campaigners for equality and
justice, Lawrence has been asked by Labour’s new leader to
investigate why the Covid-19 pandemic is disproportionately
impacting people from BAME backgrounds.
Lawrence and Starmer kicked off the review with a digital
roundtable on Friday morning alongside , Labour's Shadow
Secretary of State for Women and Equalities. Other experts at the
meeting include Harun Khan (Muslim Council of Britain), Woolley (Operation Black
Vote), Yvonne Coghill (Deputy President, RCN), Jas Khatkar (Sikh
Network), Prof. David Katz (Jewish Medical Association) and Dr
Chaand Nagpaul (Chair of the Council of the British Medical
Association).
Official figures show more than a third of people in
intensive care from Covid-19 are from BAME backgrounds - almost
triple the proportion of BAME people in the wider population. All
14 doctors known to have died from the virus were from BAME
backgrounds.
The head of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand
Nagpaul, and national medical director of NHS England, Professor
Stephen Powis, are among those who have called for more
investigation into the disproportionate impact of the
pandemic.
, Leader of the Labour Party,
said:
“Doreen Lawrence has spent almost three decades campaigning
against injustice. I have seen first-hand her
drive and determination, and was proud to stand beside her
in fighting for justice for Stephen. Her
achievements embody Labour’s values and our historic mission to
create a fairer, more equal society.
“In the face of this national emergency, Labour will
continue to work constructively with the Government. That
includes shining a light on issues where it is clear more
detailed understanding is needed.
“It is extremely concerning to see the disproportionate
toll coronavirus is taking on our BAME communities. We cannot
afford to treat this as an issue to investigate once the crisis
is over. We must address it now.”
Baroness , Labour peer,
said:
“I am proud to take up this role at a critical moment for
our country. The coronavirus pandemic has brought society
together, but it has also exposed the gulf in living standards
that still blights our communities.
“Black, Asian and minority ethnic
communities have long been disadvantaged by the social
and economic injustice which still exists in our country. There
is a clear and tragic pattern emerging of the pandemic’s impact
on those communities which must be better
understood.”
, Labour's Shadow
Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, said:
“All the early signs suggest BAME communities and
healthcare workers are disproportionately bearing the brunt of
coronavirus.
“Across our frontline are huge numbers of BAME doctors,
nurses, bus drivers and other BAME key workers. Every day they
put themselves in harm's way to save and support the lives of
others. We must do everything to protect them, their families and
communities who have been hit hardest by the virus.”
Ends
Notes to editors
1. is the Founder and
President of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and sits on
the council and board of human rights organisation Liberty. She
was appointed to the House of Lords as a Life Peer in 2013.
In 2014, she was named Britain's most influential woman by BBC
Radio 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26952561
2. Wednesday
this week (22nd April) marked Stephen Lawrence
Day, celebrating the life and legacy of Stephen
Lawrence: https://www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/stephen-lawrence-day/about-stephen-lawrence-day/
3. Figures
from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre
released on Friday (17th April) showed that 34.5% of patients in
intensive care for Covid-19 were from BAME
backgrounds: https://www.icnarc.org/Our-Audit/Audits/Cmp/Reports
4. According
to the most recent census data, the proportion of people in the
wider proportion from BAME background is
14%: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/population-of-england-and-wales/latest
5. BAME
workers represent 44% of the NHS workforce, but account for 68%
of the 57 NHS staff known to have died with the virus. Every one
of the 14 doctors reported to have died so far is from an ethnic
minority. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/18/failure-to-record-ethnicity-of-covid-19-victims-a-scandal-says-bma-chief
