The UK’s equality watchdog is launching an inquiry into “long-standing, structural race inequality”, which has been thrown into stark relief by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on long-standing, structural race inequality in Britain, and raised serious issues that have yet to be fully answered.” says the Equality and Human Rights Commission in a statement released this morning.
David Isaac, Equality and Human Rights Commission Chair, said:
“Now is a once in a generation opportunity to tackle long-standing entrenched racial inequalities. We intend to use our statutory powers to address the loss of lives and livelihoods of people from different ethnic minorities.
“Only by taking focused action to tackle race inequality across Britain will we become a fair country in which every individual can reach their full potential. Everyone must live and work together in order to create a strong economy and a cohesive society.
“This inquiry is part of our long-term strategic approach to tackle the structural inequalities that the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare. This is an important step towards ensuring that the deep-rooted inequality faced by ethnic minorities is meaningfully addressed as we rebuild.”
