(Title Image: BBC Wales)
- Welsh Government wants to hear testimonies from BAME communities to gather evidence for new anti-racism policies.
- Concerns that BAME communities have been hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Debate overshadowed by an argument between Neil McEvoy and the Llywydd over rejected amendments.
The Motion
The Senedd:
- Supports wholeheartedly the global fight against racism and strives towards a more equal Wales and the principles of the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
- Calls for an update from the Senedd Commission on the development of a cross-party Welsh declaration embodying the principles of the CERD.
- Welcomes the diligent work of the BAME Covid-19 Advisory Group and calls on the Welsh Government to ensure Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna’s report recommendations are implemented in full.
- Recognises the need for a Race Equality Action Plan for Wales to address structural and systemic inequality, and advance opportunity for black, Asian and minority ethnic people in Wales.
Welsh Government ready to listen
Listing the various reports and meetings held with interest groups, Deputy Minister & Chief Whip, Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale of Glamorgan), acknowledged there were many issues to address across housing, education, everyday racism and representation. The core message was: “We’re listening”.
“We cannot and will not do this on our own. We’re committed to working with black, Asian and minority ethnic people, hearing their testimonies and acting on that evidence. We’ll address the interests of specific communities and issues raised by intersectionality. It will be informed by research and data, official inquiries and reports that have already taken place.”
– Deputy Minister & Chief Whip, Jane Hutt
Laura Anne Jones MS (Con, South Wales East) was hopeful that racist attitudes were increasingly unfashionable and outdated amongst younger people following a conversation with her son. It’s a generational let-down that racism hasn’t been eradicated yet.
Leanne Wood MS (Plaid, Rhondda) said it was wrong to think that issues that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement were confined to the United States; Wales’ imprisonment rate for people from BAME backgrounds remains disproportionately high, while the media and UK Government attitudes towards asylum seekers impact racism on the street.
BAME communities badly affected by Covid-19
John Griffiths MS (Lab, Newport East) said it was clear early in the pandemic that ethnic minorities were more severly impacted and are now facing greater economic uncertainty by being over-represented in industries facing mass lay-offs.
Sian Gwenllian MS (Plaid, Arfon) raised concerns that recently-announced work on BAME history in the curriculum will be “diluted” by the Welsh Government and is unlikely to be completed before the Curriculum Bill is passed.
Senedd Commissioner, Joyce Watson MS (Lab, Mid & West Wales) added that there was work to improve the representation of BAMEs within the Senedd – particularly at the top levels, which has resulted in a pay gap. More Senedd apprenticeships have been offered to BAME applicants and work was underway on a cross-party declaration against race discrimination.
While Neil McEvoy MS (Ind, South Wales Central) perhaps had a point that his (otherwise perfectly reasonable) amendments were withdrawn by the Llywydd without proper explanation, the spat overshadowed the debate. He taped his mouth shut and held up a print-out saying “Gagged by a Racist”….before un-gagging himself when called to speak.
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