Pauline Pearce reminds us that racism isn’t just a Lib Dem problem

Last weekend, Pauline Pearce withdrew from the Liberal Democrats’ party presidency contest (Tim Farron’s term is up at the end of this year) because she said she’d been subject to  “underhand racism”. This led her to conclude that the Lib Dems had  “neanderthal views on diversity”. A damning indictment that shouldn’t be ignored.

After a disastrous five years in government – where they’ve failed to deliver on manifesto pledges, from tuition fees or Sure Start – it would be pretty easy to cite this story as yet another example of Lib Dem failure.

But, on this one, the Lib Dems aren’t alone. Racism isn’t limited to an individual political party, nor is it limited to the world of politics. In so many ways, from microaggressions on the street and in the workplace to the police’s ongoing racial profiling (it can’t be repeated enough times – black people are up to 28 times more likely to be stopped than white people), people who are not white are discriminated against on a daily basis.  Pauline Pearce’s experience is just another reminder that race is at the heart of the way our society works. And if we’re going to chip away at racial inequality that pervades British society, it has to be at the heart of our conversation, too.

Labour should take a moment of self-reflection. When it comes to issues around race, our record is slightly better than other political parties – there are 16 minority ethnic MPs to the Conservatives 12 – and the 1976 Race Relations Act (championed by a Labour Government) did a lot to challenge discriminatory practices in the UK.

Despite this, Labour still thinks too short-term. As the general election fast approaches, Labour politicians and supporters are frequently giving into the temptation to talk about how Labour ‘win’ the votes of [insert demographic group]. A recent favourite is ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethic people’ (BAME).

By doing this, politicians homogenise a heterogeneous group of individuals – turning politics into a game, rather than treating it as part of our everyday lives, the activities of which everyone feel they should be able to influence. Although the 2015 general election is undoubtedly important, particularly for those suffering under the Coalition’s policies, it’s crucial that the party don’t allow the age-old, ongoing struggle for racial equality to be eclipsed by the weight of the immediate moment.

The Labour Party should be upfront about racism (unfortunately quotas alone are no panacea for racial inequality).

They could start by dropping the term ‘diversity’. This word, a favourite of many politicians, sterilises the issue at hand. It’s far easier to talk about ‘diversity’ quotas, call for more ‘diversity’ in Parliament or in private institutions than it is to say we live in an institutionally racist society, our politics is institutionally racist and the voices of white people are privileged all others. Labour must talk about these realities, clearly and coherently. This would include challenging racial stereotypes that are so deeply rooted in contemporary society (look for no further than British soaps for evidence) because, for many, such stereotypes legitimate discrimination.

While talking candidly about racism in public forums and challenging conventional assumptions about ‘race’, Labour MPs – leadership included – should change the way the party politics works. A good starting point would be to open up political spaces for more non-white people by making sure there is minority ethnic representation on every political panel – and not just those where the topic up for discussion is ‘race’ .

It’s Labour’s core values – of collectivism, equality  and unity – that for so many members distinguish the party from all others. For these to hold any truth, the Labour Party must remind themselves time and again that true solidarity isn’t just one colour.