Diversity is Strength

Liberal Democrats celebrate diversity. We are totally opposed to politicians who exploit incidents, however appalling, to spread division and who’s carefully chosen language exacerbates racist behaviour. The pretence that straight white people are not being treated fairly is the opposite of the truth.

Some Facts:

Studies find that about 24% of white British applicants receive interview callbacks, compared to only 15% of ethnic minority applicants with identical qualifications and experience.

Across England and Wales black people are four times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people;

Recent reports by the Children's Commissioner for England show Black children are up to eight times more likely to be strip-searched than their white peers.

Louise Casey's 2023 review - commissioned after the murder of Sarah Everard - concluded that the Metropolitan Police was institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

Recent data shows that NHS nursing staff report tens of thousands of incidents of racial abuse each year with a reported 78% surge in incidents. Minorities face systemic negative bias in hiring, promotions, and disciplinary actions - Royal College of Nursing.

Black women are 3 times as likely to die in this country during, or shortly after, childbirth. Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee have identified racism and implicit bias as core drivers, with clinical concerns frequently ignored or dismissed.

While the demographics of our country have continued to change, murder and manslaughter rates have fallen to their lowest levels in nearly 50 years. Overall crime continues to fall despite a rise in some crimes such as shoplifting and fraud.

Liberal Democrats are determined to work towards a society in which nobody faces discrimination on the basis of age, gender, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation. We support appropriate diversity and inclusivity training to help people in public facing roles better understand the best way to treat different people.

Liberal Democrats acknowledge that there are difficulties in creating community cohesion. But we promote the need to live by the fundamental British values - the core principles that underpin civic life in the UK - promoting democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.