Published On: 17 June 2024Tags:

The Labour Party manifesto is framed around change, stability and rebuilding the UK. Labour set out five missions in order to accomplish this: high growth, clean energy, crime reduction, reforming education and investing in the NHS.

Each mission has a set of targets and policies. The “First Steps” promised are:

  • Deliver economic stability
  • Cut NHS waiting times
  • Launch a new border security command
  • Set up Great British Energy
  • Crack down on antisocial behaviour
  • Recruit 6500 new teachers

Jabeer Butt OBE says:

In 2016 we warned of the likely disproportionate and negative impact on Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic families of the roll out of Universal Credit. Therefore, we were not surprised when subsequent analysis showed more families from these communities, whose finances were already fragile, were sunk further into poverty. More recently, we reported that households of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds were more likely to have emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic in debt.

Many will have looked to the Labour Party manifesto to see how it was going to address this rise in poverty, directly attributed to freezing our capping of benefits, but will have found little to cheer. Whilst the commitment to a new Race Equality Act is welcome, if this is not going to be accompanied by ending measures such as the two-child cap, it is difficult to see how the lives of families from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds will be improved.

Ethnic pay gap monitoring may nudge some employers to address inequality in their remuneration, but as the majority of people of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds do not work for employers covered by this measure, it is unlikely to have a direct impact.

If Labour is elected, we will be calling again for the ending of the two child cap and real terms increases in benefits as part of a comprehensive race equality strategy.

Read our summary of the Labour party Manifesto here.