High coronavirus deaths in minority communities prompts calls for Peterborough to take action

Conservative cabinet member for communities at the city council, Cllr Irene Walsh, has called on the authority to set up a working group to “ensure this disproportionality (in death rates) is not experienced in other factors that may affect the health, wellbeing and social mobility of our BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) residents”.

The representative for Orton Longueville also wants the proposed working group to:

. Examine ways in which council services are accessed by, and made available to, all of our residents to ensure that our BAME residents are not disadvantaged or prevented

from accessing those services

. Examine key council service data to build an understanding of the ways in which BAME residents are impacted, positively or negatively, by council services

. Examine the opportunities for our residents provided by the council for improving social mobility to ensure that our BAME residents enjoy the same levels of access as others.

Cllr Walsh’s motion has been submitted for Wednesday’s Full Council meeting and is likely to be approved with the Conservatives having a near majority of councillors at the authority.

At the last Full Council meeting, a motion from Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Wiggins surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement was not debated due to the meeting running out of time.

The motion also called on the council to set up a working group which would examine what action should be taken following an audit of city street names and public monuments to see if they have “racist links”.

Moreover, the ward member for Hampton Vale wants a review of the council structure to “ensure ethnic minorities are not disadvantaged,” to consider whether a ‘name blind’ recruitment process should be introduced and “ensure Peterborough schools include BAME history and culture in lessons”.

Cllr Wiggin has re-submitted his motion which also highlights the high rates of coronavirus-related deaths in minority groups across the country.

A third of coronavirus patients in intensive care across the country are said to be from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

In May, the Office of National Statistics said black people are more than four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than white people.

Both motions are scheduled to be debated and voted on next Wednesday, with the meeting beginning at 6pm.

Residents can watch the meeting virtually.