Herts county councillors vote unanimously to support BAME people in Hertfordshire
Herts County Council – which has just one non-white person among its 78 elected members – has taken a unanimous stand against racism.
At a meeting on Tuesday (July 21), all members voted to support a motion supporting BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) people.
Tabled by Conservative leader Cllr David Williams, it reads: "This council was appalled by the death of George Floyd in the United States, chastened by the evidence of racism and discrimination that have blighted the lives of so many in the UK and concerned by the evidence of the disproportionate impact the Covid-19 pandemic is having on BAME communities."
The council also endorsed a statement issued by the leadership in June, confirming "our condemnation of racism, discrimination and hatred in all its forms".
Chief executive Owen Mapley wrote to staff to restate the council's commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the authority has acknowledged "the hard truth that there are inequalities within our organisation and our communities".
Workers were told: "These inequalities can only begin to be fixed by speaking to and understanding members of our workforce and our residents who have been systematically disadvantaged because of their ethnicity.
"We must also acknowledge that, alongside the threat of overt racism, there exists deeply ingrained and often unconscious discrimination across all levels of society. As a county council representing a diverse community, we have an important role to play in dismantling biases and systemic oppression.
"As an organisation, we endeavour to make Hertfordshire a safe and inclusive County of Opportunity for all of our residents. We have a long way to go before we can truly say we have achieved this goal, but we are committed to doing our part to achieve this and play our part in the hard task of removing racism and discrimination from our society."
A question and answer session for BAME staff to quiz the leadership team will be held.
There are 78 members of Herts County Council: 50 Conservatives, 18 Liberal Democrats, 9 Labour and 1 Independent. Only one of them is BAME: Labour's Asif Khan in North Watford.
