‘We need deeds and action’: Islington councillor calls for apology from Labour following report on racism within the party

Bunhill councillor Valerie Bossman-Quarshie. Photograph: Julia Gregory

A Labour politician in Islington is calling for more to be done to combat racism within her party.

Bunhill ward councillor Valerie Bossman-Quarshie is one of the co-founders of the Campaign Against Afriphobia and took her message to the Labour conference in Liverpool.

She is urging colleagues to call out Afriphobia directed at party members and MPs.

She also wants the national party to apologise for discrimination outlined in the Forde report into antisemitism and other forms of racism within Labour.

The report, commissioned by Labour leader Keir Starmer, found “some worryingly discriminatory attitudes” exhibited by “some senior staff”.

Cllr Bossman-Quarshie, the former BAME officer for Islington North Labour, said: “We want an apology for every single person who was affected by it.”

She added: “No one should underestimate Afriphobia. We need deeds and action.”

Following the national party conference, she wants to share the message across the country.

The Forde report found there were “serious problems in the operation of the party” and said there had been less progress in tackling racism than sexism.

Issues it highlighted included recruitment and “acts of aggression and micro-aggression”, such as seeing “colleagues passed over for promotion”, being the only person from an ethnic minority background around a meeting table, being managed by an almost exclusively white team, and hearing the “particular disdain” that some people “reserved” for ethnic minority members, including MPs and councillors.

The report stated: “If one lives (as we do) in a society which is shot through with racism and sexism, one has to work actively to recognise and reject discriminatory attitudes and ideas.”

Its recommendations include a call for training on antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia and on protected characteristics.

A Labour party spokesman said: “We are proud of the changes that have been made under Keir Starmer and David Evans’ [general secretary] leadership but there is no room for complacency so we will always look at ways to improve our culture and practice to support all protected characteristics.

“In April 2022, we launched our new independent complaints process that ensures complaints involving all protected characteristics will be decided impartially and fairly. This is a critical step on the Labour party’s journey to build confidence in our commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination, as well as to tackle sexual harassment.”

He added: “This sits alongside other work within the party to tackle discrimination and improve our culture and practice, including the implementation of a new code of conduct on Afrophobia and Anti-Black Racism in November 2021 and a new code of conduct on Islamophobia in July 2021.

“The party has also established a Diversity and Inclusion Board with its union and staff networks, chaired by the general secretary and supported by external expert.”

Update: this article was amended at 5pm on 30 September 2022 to include comment from the Labour party.