Labour needs to select more BAME men to fight winnable seats

Only four per cent of London Labour MPs are men from ethnic minority backgrounds. Urgent action is required to increase their representation men in parliament, the devolved assemblies and local councils.

By Jennette Arnold Jennette Arnold

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: A young delegate wears a red rosette during the first day of the Labour Party Autumn Conference on September 27, 2015 in Brighton, England. The four day annual Labour Party Conference takes place in Brighton and is expected to attract thousands of delegates with keynote speeches from influential politicians and over 500 fringe events. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

As a black feminist, I have for decades been at the forefront of calling for all-women shortlists as a way of overcoming the structural barriers to equality throughout the Labour Party. They have undoubtedly been a resounding force for good and, although there is much work left to be done, women now make up 59 per cent of Labour MPs in London, something that would have, until recently, been unthinkable.

There is much to celebrate in this success story. But we cannot let progress in some areas overshadow continued limitations elsewhere. In London, a city with a BAME population of more than 40 per cent, only around 25 per cent of Labour MPs come from an ethnic minority background, a figure that is simply not good enough.