Taiwo Owatemi comments on final Government report into addressing COVID-19 health inequalities

Taiwo Owatemi MP, Labour’s Shadow Equalities Minister, responding to the final Government report on progress to address COVID-19 health inequalities, said:

“Almost all of this report's recommendations were included in Labour’s Lawrence Review into the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, which was published over a year ago.

“The questions many will be asking today are why on earth has it taken the Government so long to listen? And will Ministers take another age to actually implement these recommendations to keep communities safe?

“However, the Government's report is deafeningly silent about the structural reasons why people from different ethnic minority communities are more likely to be living in overcrowded accommodation and working in high-risk frontline jobs. This is yet another missed opportunity from a Government which brought us the Sewell Report and has denied structural racism even exists. 

"Only Labour has a plan to address racial injustice in our society, with a new Race Equality Act to tackle structural inequality at source.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Cabinet Office Race Disparity Unit's final report on progress to address COVID-19 health inequalities - 3 December, GOV.UK