News

Restaurateur Iqbal Wahhab seems to revel in doing the impossible!

In one of the most fiercely contested seats for Labour party candidates, the party has selected a final shortlist of three women all Black and Minority Ethnic. They are: Ayfer Orhan, Kate Anolue and Kate Osamor .

With less than 100 days before a defining General Election, all the political parties are looking for ways in which they can find the edge to beat their rivals. And with the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Havant, Alan Mak provides the Tories with an history breaking narrative.

With the present MP, David Willetts stepping down as the sitting MP, Yorkshire born Alan Mak who is proud of his Chinese heritage could well become the UK's first MP from a Chinese background. His chances are good given the Conservatives hold a 22k majority in the area.

A recent report on inequalities in health, commissioned by the British Academy, brought together responses to the question, “What one policy could make a difference if implemented at a local level?” The context was, of course, local government, which has taken responsibility for public health and, by implication, for dealing with inequalities in health.

Today, Thursday 5 February, was National Voter Registration Day. Amid concerns about the number of people who are not currently on the electoral register, campaigning bodies such as Operation Black Vote want to highlight the value of the vote and how to register.

Those groups particularly under-represented on the voter register are young adults and people from Black minority ethnic (BME) communities.

Research by the Electoral Commission shows that 76 per cent of BME people are currently registered to vote, ten per cent less than white people.

To redress this imbalance, OBV has commissioned a specially converted coach to visit areas with high BME populations to encourage and enable people to vote. It will have 12 computer stations so that people can register on-line.

Helpers will be on hand to answer queries, and the Electoral Commission’s leaflet on how to register will be available on the coach in English and a variety of other languages.

In the press release put out by the Electoral Commission highlighting that the UK’s faith leaders have united to encourage registration on National Voter Registration Day, Simon Woolley of OBV said:

The heart of any democracy is its people and their engagement within it. Registering to vote ensures you are as important as any other voter in the land, no matter what your faith, your gender or your race."

Cabinet Office Minister Sam Gyimah said:

The right to vote has been hard-won, and it is the duty of everyone in public life, including the government, to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote is able to vote."

Just by being registered gives you a voice… allows you to sit on juries as a Jury member and above politicians will listen to you as they know you have the power to decide who wins and who loses in the forthcoming the General Election. So, register today and use that vote on 7 May.

Do you remember the the deadline for voter registration?
It is 20th April 2015

Paul Hensby

The well-respected Labour MP and, until yesterday, would-be London Mayoral candidate Margaret Hodge has bowed out of the race stating that the capital city would benefit from a ‘non-white mayor’.

Imagine for a second if a family member of the Czech tennis star Tomas Berdych had been caught on camera calling Andy Murray a, “ Scot’s Flash f...k“.  Worse still, imagine what dogs of hell would be unleashed if, for example Serena Williams father Richard, would be caught on camera with a similar remark towards any player?

The on-going under-representation of Black and Minority Ethnics was discussed at by media experts at an event last week on corporate concentration of media ownership and democracy. 

Professor of Media and Communications at Goldsmith Natalie Fenton started with outlining shocking figures showing a developing concentration of publication ownership in the UK and worldwide at the event organised by People`s Parliament and hosted by Labour MP Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby).