Coronavirus: Equalities watchdog to launch probe into ‘entrenched racial inequalities’ laid bare by pandemic

The equalities watchdog will launch a statutory inquiry into the “entrenched racial inequalities” laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it would use its legal powers to probe “deep-rooted inequality” faced by people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) communities, which have been thrown into sharp focus by the Covid-19 crisis.

The news comes after a new report commissioned by the Department of Health found people of Bangladeshi heritage were twice as likely to die of coronavirus compared to white Britons.

People of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and other Black ethnicity had between 10 and 50 per cent higher risk of death when compared to their white peers, the analysis by Public Health England (PHE) showed.

The much-anticipated report, which was rushed out on Tuesday, drew criticism for failing to offer an explanation for the higher mortality rate amongst black and ethnic minority groups, and for the lack of recommendations to address the disparities.

The EHRC will use its powers to compel government departments and other organisations to give evidence as it considers structural inequalities faced by the Bame groups.

David Isaac, chair of the EHRC, said: “Now is a once in a generation opportunity to tackle long-standing entrenched racial inequalities. We intend to use our statutory powers to address the loss of lives and livelihoods of people from different ethnic minorities.

“Only by taking focused action to tackle race inequality across Britain will we become a fair country in which every individual can reach their full potential. Everyone must live and work together in order to create a strong economy and a cohesive society.

“This inquiry is part of our long-term strategic approach to tackle the structural inequalities that the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare. This is an important step towards ensuring that the deep-rooted inequality faced by ethnic minorities is meaningfully addressed as we rebuild.”

The terms of the inquiry will be published in the coming weeks.

Marsha de Cordova, the shadow women and equalities secretary, said: “The coronavirus crisis has shone a light on these inequalities, but the government has consistently failed to take action to save Bame people’s lives during this pandemic.

“Now is the time to take steps to tackle systemic racism, discrimination and injustice in Britain. The government must take action based on the findings and recommendations of the EHRC’s inquiry”.

London mayor Sadiq Khan, who urged the EHRC to launch a probe last month, said: "Evidence clearly shows that Covid-19 has exposed the major health inequalities that exist in our society, and has laid bare the negative impact it continues to have on the lives of BAME Londoners, including in employment and immigration status.

“It’s crucial that lessons are learned and action taken swiftly to address them.”

Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, also welcomed the move and vowed that trade unions would engage fully to ensure the voices of black workers were heard.

“We should all be appalled by the disproportionate impact this pandemic has had on Bame people, and by the unacceptable loss of lives and livelihoods,” she said.

“We must seize this opportunity to identify and tackle the underlying causes and end the racism that’s blighted so many people’s lives.”

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said she was working with the government’s race disparity unit to make recommendations on the PHE report but hit back at claims from Labour that ethnic minorities were more likely to die due to “systemic injustice”.

Ms Badenoch, who is of Nigerian descent, told MPs on Thursday that “this is one of the best countries in the world to be a black person”.

She later vowed to review the effectiveness of the government’s actions to directly lessen disparities in infection and death rates of Covid-19, considering risk factors such as age, ethnicity, occupation, geography and prevalence of underlying health conditions.

She said: “This government is rightly taking seriously the initial findings from the PHE report published earlier this week. However, it is also clear that much more needs to be done to understand the key drivers of the disparities identified and the relationships between the different risk factors.

“That is why I am now taking this work forward, which will enable us to make a real difference to people’s lives and protect our communities from the impact of the coronavirus.”

The row over the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on black and ethnic minorities came as protests took place across the UK following the death of George Floyd in the US at the hands of a white police officer.