Labour’s plans for a new race equality act were announced at a behind closed doors event that excluded equality campaigners who wanted to review the proposals, Sky News can reveal.
The party is pledging to be a government that would give stronger legal protections for equal pay for black, Asian, and minority ethnic workers.
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But ahead of today’s launch, stakeholders were emailed at 11pm last night to say the event was “postponed” after protests were due to take place at a venue they had originally chosen in north London.
Sky News understands there was a separate event for a smaller group.
Those who attended this private event said Sir Keir Starmer set out the plan with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, though were “quite agitated” by what they saw and one thought the Labour leader came across as “quite cold and horrible” – they described the atmosphere as “jingoistic” with “union jacks everywhere.”
Some were also surprised that David Lammy, Labour’s most senior Black MP in the shadow cabinet, did not attend.
Labour has released pictures of the event, and a video will be released tomorrow on their social media.
One of the images was shared on Sir Keir Starmer’s X account and shows him talking to Baroness Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.
