Race equality at the local level… where next?

On April 1st at the Zion Centre in Hulme, One North West and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies held a joint policy roundtable. This brought together expertise around race equality, economic development and place. The roundtable involved participation from leading academics, representatives of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) voluntary and community sector (VCS), local politicians and also local council officers to ask: ‘where next for race equality at the local level?’

On April 1st at the Zion Centre in Hulme, One North West and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies held a joint policy roundtable. This brought together expertise around race equality, economic development and place. The roundtable involved participation from leading academics, representatives of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) voluntary and community sector (VCS), local politicians and also local council officers to ask: ‘where next for race equality at the local level?’

The roundtable began with an introduction into the current political context and was followed by a wide ranging discussion. Three key areas of learning emerged that included linking with wider agendas, the issues with the growth agenda and making local accountability work. This is summarised below, which intended as a reflection of the event and the beginnings of a new debate.

The two essays that formed the introduction to debate: ‘The changing relationship between national and local policy-making’ and ‘race equality under the coalition Government: an overview’ can be found at the back of this document.

Read the full roundtable debate.