Does the Birmingham Labour Group have a toxic culture of racism?
On 12th November ‘The Guardian’ reported - “Birmingham Labour group in racism row”, which detailed the concerns of 17 Black and Asian Councillors in an anonymised survey, which had 50% + response rate. The anonymised survey was conducted by Birmingham Labour Group’s BAME officer, Cllr. Saima Suleman.
The article stated:
“A source within the Birmingham Labour party, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I ended up in tears reading this report because this is not my city, this is not my party, but unfortunately this is what has been going on.”
“If the survey wasn’t anonymised, no one would have completed it because they’re all scared. People in the party are shocked but not surprised with this report, because they know how bad it is.”
“As well as claims about racism within the party, surveyed councillors also said constituents in areas with high BAME populations felt “forgotten about” and “purposely neglected”.
“One claimed that “Asian areas” were “not getting enough resources compared to other areas” and had to put up with dirtier streets than more affluent parts of the city because of funding discrepancies.”
On 12th November ‘Birmingham Mail’ reported that an “Independent review ordered into 'culture' of Birmingham Labour after racism claims”. This stated:
“Cllr Ward said in a statement today: “The recent survey conducted by the Labour Group unveiled a number of concerning views about the Group’s culture. On reading the report, I spoke with the General Secretary of the Labour Party, David Evans, to propose that an independent review takes place”.
The Birmingham Mail piece stated:
“We understand concerns about the group's internal culture, exposed in the report, was one of the reasons Birmingham was selected to host a ‘Campaign Improvement Group’. However the local leadership dispute that claim and say it was established to help it improve and also to learn from their successful campaigning in May's local elections.”
On 24th November the Birmingham Mail carried the headline “Birmingham Labour Councillor quits protest”. It stated:
“Cllr Suleman said that the terms of reference announced for the inquiry had triggered her resignation. She said she was 'disappointed and hurt' that the inquiry's terms of reference were said to aim to 'establish the facts and make recommendations around the culture of the Group' and also between the Group and the unions and the press.”
“By doing so, she claimed, her request to specify that it was particularly focused on the survey's racism allegations was ignored. This, she claimed, amounted to 'feeble whitewashing' of 'most serious allegations that need to be investigated and eradicated from our party, our movement and our society'.”
“It has emerged today that the inquiry that Cllr Ward had announced will now be under the control of a Campaign Improvement Board of senior figures in Labour, which was itself ordered earlier this year amid concerns at the way the group was operating. We understand that Cllr Suleman's survey, and the fallout since, has solidified regional and national concerns. The terms of reference will be decided by the Board.”
BRIG wrote to Labour’s Regional Director Charlotte Walker on 2nd December seeking “a press release from the Regional or Birmingham Labour Group on the issue, the investigation assigned to the Campaign Improvement Group, terms of reference and timescale thereof.’ At the time of this BRIG editorial being published a response had not been received.
Racism in our political parties is nothing new given it systemic nature in society and institutions thereof. Over the last decade and more recently, investigations on islamophobia in the Conservative Party and antisemitism in the Labour Party have been exposed. In the case of the Labour Party the recent Forde Report highlights serious problems of discrimination in the operations of the Party, with evidence of unacceptable incidents of racism, sexism and antisemitism. In summary it concluded “An apology alone is not enough, and that is why, even prior to the publication of the Forde Report, steps have been taken to begin to change the culture of the Party.” Further exposure of the “Labour Files The Labour Files by Al Jazeera Investigation Unit shed light on how the Party “created a hierarchy of racism and discrimination against its Black, Asian and Muslim members.
The acceptance of institutional racism by the Birmingham Labour Group and in turn of Birmingham City Council, under their control remains, a critical issue. Without acknowledging institutional racism and how it operates in our organisations can progress happen in rooting it out and eradicating it.
In 2001 the Birmingham Stephen Lawrence Commission, set up by Birmingham City Council and chaired by district judge Ray Singh, spent nearly 18 months investigating the implications of the Macpherson Report for the City Council and the city’s institutions. It concluded that efforts of the council “have been blunted by institutionalised racism” and that Birmingham City Council is institutionally racist. However, the then Council Leader Albert Bore said: “While I would accept that there are examples of institutional racism in some areas of the council, that quite emphatically does not mean that the council is institutionally racist as an organisation.”
We can even go back further to the research conduct by John Solmon and Les Back in the mid 1990’s and published in ‘Race, Policy and Social Change (1995)’ to note of the toxic racist culture created by the politics of race.
Though, Birmingham Labour Group and City Council are more accepting of institutional racism in their midst, post George Floyd, how they go about tackling it through a progressive antiracist culture is yet to emerge.
How the investigation by the Labour Party’s Birmingham Campaign Improvement Group’s (BCIG)into the concern’s raised by Cllr. Suleman’s anonymous survey is conducted, given her own misgivings and resignation, will be crucial. It is imperative that this is done in an open transparent and accountable manner to ensure the review has credibility in demonstrating its independent nature. This is central as to the level of confidence members of the Birmingham Labour Party and the Citizens of Birmingham, who elected them to run the Council, have in the reviews finding and recommendations. We would also urge that the methodology adopted for the review ensures the psychological safety of those it seeks to engage. Without this people will not speak their truth given both the political and power dynamics at play. To this end BRIG would welcome a response from the Charlotte Walker, Labour Party Regional Director, to the terms of reference, methodology and timescale of the BCIG investigation.