The Labour Party and Starmer's intention is not enough for the BAME community

UK Parliament, creative commons licence

Labour has stepped into a new era, with Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner leading the party to the 2024 election and remoulding its public image. By his final PMQs, to much of the public and media, Jeremy Corbyn was leading a far left protest movement with a ‘cult-like’ support group; for PoC, Jeremy Corbyn has been a tireless ally for decades. However, with Corbyn in the past, is Labour still a party that will represent and champion the BAME community, whilst fighting for our rights and equality?

In Starmer’s 10 pledges, released during his election campaign, his only statement on equality was building on the Party’s historic work on equality legislation. Regardless of intention, this is not remotely a policy.

According to an inside source, working on Starmer’s campaign, this sentence was created when it became apparent that Starmer had, at that point, no clear policy plan for minority communities. 

If we give Starmer the benefit of the doubt during his campaign, then his actions since becoming Leader become all the more important. Starmer’s shadow cabinet is one rife with concerning characters and, at best, questionable decisions. Whilst, the diversity balance (53% women and 25% BAME), is encouraging, this is undermined by those who make it up. 

After the fallout of Windrush, Shamima Begum’s citizenship stripping and increasing hostile environment, Starmer’s Shadow home office dept fails in every aspect. Alongside no BAME representation, in particular Black MPs, there are a number of problematic members.

Jess Philips, known for problematic comments in relation to the BAME and Trans community, has been appointed Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and safeguarding. Holly Lynch, Shadow Minister, in 2017 said, ‘What are thresholds in communities to be comfortable with immigration? And what are the implications for integration that come with that?’.

These comments play into dangerous rhetoric surrounding immigration and BAME communities. Finally, Shadow Home Secretary himself, Nick Thomas-Symonds has voted for (or been absent), mass surveillance of people and communications, known to discriminate against POC.

Outside of the Shadow Cabinet, the recent leak of a document as part of the EHRC Antisemitism investigation, contains serious implications for a number of Labour Party Staff and MPs whose actions directly negatively impacted PoC. Both Dawn Butler and Diane Abbott were harassed and bullied, according to the document as well as a number of cases of Islamophobia being ignored or terribly handled.  

On top of this, it alleges that the process for dismantling the institutional anti-semtism in the party was purposefully hindered by the actions of a large group of Labour Party workers. 

Starmer and Rayner have released a statement ensuring an investigation into the report, with no stronger repercussions as of yet. However, the general sentiment is one of great unease among the BAME community. 

Unless Starmer seriously addresses these appointments and concerns brought up by one of their strongest voter bases, minority rights will be heavily compromised at a time when we need the most support.