Labour criticised for ditching commitment to start Black wing of party

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On Tuesday, the party’s National Executive Committee will meet to discuss proposals to revive “BAME Labour”, a membership fee-charging body affiliated to the party, that its own internal report previously warned did not support the representation of minority ethnic members in decision-making. An NEC briefing document for Tuesday’s equalities meeting, seen by The Independent, details plans to revive BAME Labour despite acknowledging that stakeholders feel that it “does not currently function effectively to support BAME members to have a voice and be well represented in the decision-making structures of the party”. The briefing says: “More concerning, is the fact that the BAME Labour website is still active and receiving membership applications and neither BAME Labour, nor the Party, are able to confirm where these funds are being held.” Last week The Independent revealed Black members were unhappy with the lack of representation in party leadership and moves to increase diversity. “The current BAME structures are simply not fit for purpose and so I’m really disappointed that the party has seen fit to go back on promises that it had made.” Labour previously agreed to implement a BAME National Committee to drive forward equality among ethnic minority members, as part of the Democracy Review in 2018.