In the last few days, Andy Love has announced that after 18 years as an MP, he will not be standing again in Edmonton. It is a very diverse north London constituency with a majority of almost 10,000 or about 24%, with a wide range of ethnic minorities comprising 73% of the population. Labour has an opportunity to make sure its candidate reflects that diversity. If ever there was a time and place for an all-BAME shortlist, it is now in Edmonton.
London is the most multicultural city in Europe and on the whole, as was evident during the Olympics, it is more than comfortable with its diversity. Political parties, however, don’t see fit to respond to this comfort by ensuring that its political representatives reflect this diversity. Continue reading
What a difference a year makes! In January, I remember writing about how following the Stephen Lawrence verdict we had a real opportunity to put race back on to the mainstream agenda, and get this coalition government to realise the need for greater racial and social justice. 
Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East, appears to be in a spot of bother with the party, and it could lose him the seat on Labour’s national executive which he has held since 2007. There have been a number of accusations about his 