Mayoral Candidates asked to sign ‘Code of Conduct’

Press release: Immediate
Re: London Mayoral Candidates

Contact OBV press office: 020 8983 5430 / 07584 177 529

Mayoral Candidates asked to sign ‘Code of Conduct’

For many Black and minority ethnic organisations, and individuals the London Mayoral race has become increasing vitriolic, with certain campaigning aspects that can easily be interpreted as pitting one community against the other. This is not acceptable.

This statement - along all those who have signed - is non-party political. Therefore, we are asking that all Mayoral candidates sign up to, and adhere to this code of conduct, which we hope will ensure the remaining weeks of campaigning will be more about the issues Londoners want addressing, along with bringing the capital’s citizens together rather than anything else.

London’s strength is its teeming diversity both economically and culturally. Like any big city we face many challenges and this is particularly so for many BME communities in regards to high levels of unemployment, poor housing and in some areas gang culture which blights whole neighbourhoods. We the assigned would like to see positive programmes from the Mayoral candidates that will effectively confront these issues, and not some of the profoundly negative campaigning that we’ve witnessed over the last few weeks and months.

Londoners deserve the highest standard of political campaign, including from the media too. We hope this will ‘Code of Conduct’ ensure we get that.

We will publish the responses from all the Mayoral candidates.

Organisations: Runnymede Trust - Operation Black Vote - Hindu Council UK -BTEG - Race on the Agenda - Race Equality Matters - Migrants Forum - Jewish Council for Race Equality - Faith Matters - Tell MAMA 
Individuals: Lord Dholakia and Richard Stone

The full 'Code of Conduct' document is here to download.

END.

Notes for editor:

1) OBV is non-partisan political campaigning organisation.
2) Operation Black Vote exists to ensure we have greater racial justice and equality throughout the UK.