Racism and inequality are political issues, and so is Covid-19

The government’s response to the pandemic is front-page news on a daily basis – as it should be. The death toll in the UK marks us out as a nation that has failed in its responsibilities to protect people during this public health crisis. From slowness to act to ill-preparedness and appallingly poor provisions of testing and personal protective equipment, to confused communications and putting business before public health, there can be no doubt that the public has been let down.

Amidst all of this, we know the Covid-19 tragedy has affected different communities in different ways. The death toll in BAME communities has been disproportionately high. In my own city of Oxford, three of the four health workers who have died from the virus were from our BAME communities. We should be under no illusions this crisis represents yet another trauma for communities that have – under successive governments – been overlooked, neglected, and at worst, been at the receiving end of policies fundamentally racist in their design and execution.

We know that there are a number of factors that have contributed to the BAME Covid-19 death toll. Many have died from working on the frontline in NHS hospitals. Underlying health inequalities, housing conditions and proximity to densely populated areas have also made it much more likely for people from BAME communities to contract the disease. But we must be clear that this is, at its core, a political crisis. Public health is a political issue. Race is a political issue. Inequality is a political issue. The government’s response to Covid-19 is a political issue.

This government has failed. Conservative and Liberal Democrat-backed austerity has cost lives. Ten years of wave after wave of cuts to the very services BAME communities rely on to survive has exacerbated their unequal positions in our society. From access to good quality housing and healthcare, to the right to live in dignity and safety, BAME communities have found themselves at the receiving end of public policy grandstanding and negligence.

We cannot ignore the historical context from which BAME communities in Britain have ended up in this position. Institutional racism and the legacies of colonialism continue to be perpetuated through policy decisions. Lack of regard, understanding and due consideration in policy making for existing inequalities mean those who are at the bottom of power and privilege structures will suffer more. And with woeful levels of understanding of race dynamics, histories of colonialism and how structural inequality manifests at the very top of our political institutions and in public discourse, it is no wonder that BAME communities are some of the most marginalised and disenfranchised in our society. It is not enough to simply change faces in institutions. We have to hardwire into our decision-making a consideration of how policies will affect different communities in different ways.

The labour movement has a big task ahead striving to achieve justice for all those who have suffered as a result of coronavirus. Firstly, we must urgently unionise on a mass scale in all of our communities. Lower-paid workers, those on precarious, insecure contracts and those in BAME communities are less likely to be members of a union. If we are to strengthen the collective voice of BAME workers, mass unionisation is going to be critical. Community organising is going to be key to this and the Labour Party should seek to empower grassroots members to reach into their communities to do this.

Secondly, to achieve justice for the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, we must be prepared for a fight. Public Health England has been tasked with a “rapid review” into factors affecting how people are affected by Covid-19. But for any inquiry to have the full confidence of the communities affected by this tragedy, it must be independent, comprehensive and adequately time-resourced.

Labour MPs including Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, Zarah Sultana, Apsana Begum, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Richard Burgon, Dawn Butler and others have called for a public inquiry into the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on BAME communities. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also called on Boris Johnson to commission an independent inquiry into race and health inequalities in Britain. Following any independent inquiry, there will need to be government action on the findings. Labour’s shadow cabinet will be looked to to lead on this, and the wider labour movement should be prepared to push for that action.

Finally, we must continue the fight against the effects of austerity and the normalisation of any future cuts. There can be no going back – we must pursue an agenda that puts economic, class and racial justice at its core.