News

Rushanara Ali is used to breaking barriers. It is no surprise to those who know her that her run for the Labour Party Deputy Leadership is both credible and serious.

Few people from Ali’s working class, Bengali background find themselves at the University of Oxford. After achieving that goal, she went on to become a senior civil servant and then an associate director of the Young Foundation, founded by her mentor the late Lord Michael Young.

Did you see the BBC One documentary The Met on tell-lie-vison last night?  It was meant to be a 'fly on the wall' documentary on the challenges of policing the capital city.

I watched it and from this first episode, there are five more to follow, its clear to me fom the outset, that this series is undoubtedly part of a media campaign to win back public trust and confidence, after what has been a hellish period for the Met Police over the last six or so years.

Arise Sir Lenny Henry!  It's not a joke: finally one of Briton's finest comics has received notice that he will be one of those honoured in the Queen's Birthday honours list. We're not sure what Delbert Wilkins from the Brixton Broadcasting Corporation would make of his elevation, but we're pleased as punch! He's come a long way, has the boy from Dudley in Birmingham.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/30/black-power-salute-1968-oly...

Tonight is the much heralded premier of a new BBC TV 'fly on the wall' documentary that takes a long look at the Metropolitan Police Service.  The documentary follow “the officers of Britain's biggest and busiest police service as they deal with life, death, crime and its victims, all across the capital".

The Mayoral race for London is hotting up with the mainstream parties all picking their runners and riders. Each will hope to identify that one candidate that is most likely to deliver them electoral success in London. With London being the second most important job in British politics the competition will be fierce.

London's diversity will be and incredibly important aspect of next year’s elections and has attracted interest from a wide range of potential candidates.

Congratulations to the Football League which last week agreed to adopt a modified version of the American Rooney Rule which will open up more opportunities in this country for BME coaches and managers.

Until very recently few people outside the Tower Hamlets political village had heard of Cllr Rabina Khan, but as the clock ticks down to the forced rerun for the Tower Hamlets Mayoralty, Khan is running the Labour Party favourite John Biggs a close race.

The election this Thursday came about due to the damning judgement on former Mayor Lutfur Rahman who was stripped of his victory due to irregularities. Rahman is contesting those judgements.

Dear White People is not just the title of the film I am desperately trying to distribute in this country but also a case of 'life imitating art' as a Black person who is beseeching you not to allow another injustice to prevail where we, as a race, have been once again treated like second-class citizens. Like a fairytale, I shall start from the beginning but it is a shame that unlike a nightmare, we can't wake up at the end knowing that this is all a dream.