Issue - meetings

Motions approved at Council do not bind the Cabinet but may influence future decisions of the Cabinet.

On a motion from Councillor Grant Johnson, seconded by Councillor Dr Kumar, it was

RESOLVED that

Council notes:

1  With great sadness the killing of George Floyd in the United States and the justified outpouring of hurt and anger across the globe that followed his death.

2  Official figures showing that in 2018-19, the police in England and Wales were three times more likely to arrest a black person than a white person and five times more likely to use force.  Black people were more than nine times as likely to be stopped and searched.

3  Since 1990, 1,743 people in England and Wales have died following contact with the police.  As a proportion of the population, black people are more than twice as likely to die in police custody and force or restraint is more than twice as likely to be involved in their deaths.

4  The government’s review into the impact of coronavirus has shown that black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die than white people in England and Wales.

Council believes:

5  Racism remains a shameful aspect of life in Bath and North East Somerset as elsewhere and must be confronted.

Council therefore resolves:

6  To stand in solidarity with protesters who are seeking to challenge the structural racism which exists in our society.

7  To play its full part in working to address deep-seated inequalities by:

(i)   examining the culture of the Council;

(ii)  consulting stakeholders to ensure that the Council meets the needs of those it serves;

(iii)   reviewing its Corporate Equality Commitment and Equality Objectives to include additional specific race equality actions, including establishing a Race Equality Panel, and identifying the means to monitor progress towards race equality; and

(iv)  considering how the work identified above should be taken forward and the timescales and mechanism for reporting back.

[Notes;

1. During debate, an amendment was moved by Councillor Karen Walker and seconded by Councillor Paul Myers (which had been circulated to all Members) to re-word various points and remove the establishment of a Race Equality Panel.  This was lost with 14 Councillors voting in favour and 44 Councillors voting against.
2. The above successful resolution was carried with 56 Councillors voting in favour and 2 Councillors abstaining.]