News

PRESS RELEASE: Immediate

Contact OBV press office:
07920 057 237 / 07584 177 529

For more than 25 years of fighting for social and racial justice, Operation Black Vote's founder and Director Simon Woolley is to be knighted by the Her Majesty the Queen in this years' Birthday Honours list.

Sir Simon Woolley has been credited with helping transform the ethnic and racial makeup, not only of parliament, but also local authorities, the magistracy and public bodies.

An historical fact has been overlooked in the recent European elections because all eyes have been focused upon the success of the anti-immigrant Brexit Party and its xenophobic undertones, and the even worse extreme Right wing parties that also made big political gains across Europe too.

The Conservative party have come a long way in regards to BME political representation in parliament. When OBV began 24 years ago there were no Conservative BME MPs, and frankly none on the horizon either . Fast forward to today and three BME MPs, Sajid Javid, Sam Gymiah, and James Cleverly, all with ministerial experience, are now standing to become the first BME Prime Minister.

I am sorry this is so late, but given the timescale it’s the best we could do.

We asked all of the mainstream political parties: Tell us why Black and minority ethnic voters should vote for your party in these EU elections.

We told them this is about the EU, but also on their views domestically too.

Here’s their response. Now you decide.

And when you vote tomorrow - if you vote - take your children.  Show them how we can demand greater race equality through the ballot box.

They wouldn’t stop until they got her.

Due to the Brexit negotiations, we may or may not participate in the European elections between 23- 26 May but if you are not registered by the 7th May, if we do participate in those election you won’t be able to vote.

The registration process takes no more than five minutes and can easily be done online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Those wishing to register will need their National Insurance number.

With just a week to go before the local elections, allegations of racial discrimination, Islamophobia and antisemitism are plaguing the main political parties.  Operation Black Vote today launched its ground-breaking research relating to BAME political representation at a local authority level.

OBV looked at 123 ‘Single Tier’ local authorities in England. Single tier local authorities control all of the London Boroughs, several large cities, major regions, and the lion’s share of the UK.

PRESS RELEASE: Immediate

Contact OBV press office: 

020 8983 5430 / 020 8983 5444 / 07920 057 237