‘Watered down’ racism motion upsets Bexley councillors

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Bexley councillors have been accused of ‘trampling on the wishes’ of their black colleagues, after a motion focused on preventing racism towards minority groups was reworked by the Conservative Group.

Members of Bexley council’s opposition group have claimed Conservative councillors have prioritised politics ahead of working alongside members to tackle racial issues in the borough.

The topic was discussed at a Bexley council meeting on July 17. Labour councillor Mabel Ogundayo put forward a motion for the council to work alongside global majority communities – which include black, Asian and minority ethnic groups – in the borough to better understand the racism such individuals have faced.

The councillor said she had experienced racist bullying while attending secondary school in Bexley. She praised council officers for their work in creating a forum for staff to discuss race issues, but claimed that councillors had a responsibility to change the current experiences of residents and visitors to the borough.

Cllr Ogundayo said at the meeting: “I have had racist words held at me in the street, I have been spat at, I have had people refuse to sit next to me on the train and I have received unprovoked dirty looks. Even as a councillor, I’ve seen other people roll their eyes when I raised the issue of racism in this council.”

An amendment to the motion was put forward by Conservative councillor Nick O’Hare, which deleted language used to refer to supporting global majority groups specifically. The amendment also claimed the council was already taking actions to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in its current policy.

Conservative councillor Janice Ward-Wilson, who seconded the amendment, said at the meeting: “Bexley council does not shy away from reflecting on its position and impact and making any changes necessary to ensure all of our residents receive the best that we can possibly offer.”

The amended motion removed calls from the Labour group to eradicate racism within the council’s own institution specifically and instead focused on tackling the issue in society as a whole.

Labour councillor Zainab Asunramu said it was important to retain the wording of racism to global majority groups in the original motion, as ‘without naming an issue, you cannot hope to solve it’.

Cllr Asunramu said at the meeting: “Once again, a group that is made up of majority white people feels as though they know more about the experiences of black and global majority people than those of us who actually experience racism on the ground every day, and it bears reflecting on the fact that you have trampled upon the wishes of your black and global majority colleagues as councillors, but also of the staff that work here who are black and global majority.”

At the end of the motion, the Conservative group’s amendment was carried. Cllr Ogundayo said she was disappointed by the outcome of the debate and claimed Conservative councillors had put forward the message that politics were prioritised in the council.

Pictured top: Mabel Ogundayo (Picture: You Tube)