The Lammy Report on Institutional Racism

David Lammy, Labour MP, chaired a government review of racial disparity in the criminal justice system. The Lammy Report confirmed that young black men are unfairly treated by the police and courts.

Our young black men are being let down, racially profiled and targeted under the current Tory government. We need to lobby effectively and make our voice heard so this issue has a higher profile when the Labour Party gets into government.

It is an accepted fact that ‘stop and search’ disproportionately targets young black men/ boys. Our local black males have been arrested by the police on ‘mistaken identity’ and beaten up severely, even killed. The joint enterprise, which is disproportionately applied in cases involving black youth, has contributed significantly to the high levels of young black males in custody over the past decade or so. This needs to stop.

In November, I was a delegate at the London Regional Conference, my first Labour Party conference. It was a gathering of enthusiastic delegates who voiced concerns about various issue including racism in the police force, especially towards young black men.