MAKE UP OF LABOUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES
British Sikhs want answers as we believe the Labour leadership has discriminated against the record-breaking 12 Labour MPs of a Sikh background
London – 10 July 2024
Ethnic minorities currently number around 20% of the population, it was 18% in the Census 2021.
Whilst there has been an improvement in ethnic minority representation in Parliament following the General Election on 4 July, they remain underrepresented in the House of Commons with 90 out of 650 MPs or 13.8%.
Labour has a higher proportion of ethnic minority MPs with 66 out of 412 or 16%. Most therefore had rightly expected the Cabinet and junior ministerial positions to reflect this ethnic diversity and provide equality of opportunity.
However, when the first photograph of the new Cabinet emerged on 6 July many were disappointed and started to ask about the representation of ethnic minorities, especially visible minorities.
Many rightly contrasted the new Labour Cabinet with the significant visible ethnic minority representation in the previous Conservative governments despite a much lower proportion of ethnic minorities in the Conservative ranks.
With the appointment of junior Ministers in the new Labour government the position for ethnic minority representation at senior levels in a Labour government is dire and within a week the situation for ethnic minorities has gone from bad to worse.
This will become stark and a constant issue for the Conservatives to exploit especially if the new Conservative leader is someone like Kemi Badenoch.
Most if not all appointments to government have now been made and the new Labour government has failed at the outset to have sufficient representation of ethnic minorities, especially visible ethnic minorities.
It is simply not good enough that there are only around 10% of ethnic minorities in leading political roles compared to 20% of the total population.
To rub salt into the wounds, five MPs have been appointed as junior ministers despite having no parliamentary experience, only one of these is an ethnic minority.
At least four MPs who lost in the December 2019 General Election have been re-elected and immediately taken Ministerial roles, but they do not include any ethnic minorities.
In addition, Keir Starmer has decided to introduce four new Ministers from outside government via new life peerages, again none are ethnic minorities. Surely there are talented and experienced ethnic minorities that could have come via this route.
Many in the British Sikh community are asking why the Labour leadership has discriminated against the record breaking 12 Labour Sikh MPs. With around 1 in 4 Labour MPs taking Ministerial roles the British Sikh community had expected to see at least two or three Sikh Ministers.
Most were expecting to see Preet Kaur Gill (the first Sikh woman MP) and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (the first turban wearing Sikh MP) take junior Ministerial roles as they have been MPs for over 7 years and had been successfully serving as Shadow Ministers.
Two of the newly elected Sikh MPs were until recently Council leaders in Redbridge and Southampton and could also have been given roles in government. With no Sikh appointed to a ministerial role despite their experience, reputation and loyalty suggests discrimination at the highest levels that is totally unacceptable.
Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said:
“The Labour leadership needed to learn from its past mistakes of unnecessarily alienating different communities that resulted in some Labour MPs losing their seats last week and many others facing challenge and abuse.“
“Keir Starmer should explain why all Sikh MPs, especially those with relevant experience have been overlooked or risk losing much of the one million Sikh vote in future elections.”
“We have reached out to dozens of newly elected Labour MPs, including Ministers in his Cabinet and they have been unable to defend the decision to exclude all Sikh MPs from government and universally condemned the discriminatory approach taken.”
“Keir Starmer has probably gambled on who to drop and bring in realising Sikh MPs like Preet and Tanmanjeet were an easy push over. He has taken advantage of their loyalty and knew they would not make a public fuss. But the Sikh community will now demonstrate they refuse to be taken for granted.”
“The only positive to emerge from this experience is the decision will force all the Sikhs MPs on to the backbenches and they will be able to work with others to challenge discrimination and raise the full range of issues with government.”
ENDS
Jaspal Singh National Press Secretary Sikh Federation (UK)