‘White blokes’ at the top ‘slowing down the region’
ALACK of diversity in top positions across the West Midlands is ‘slowing the region down’, according to a local councillor.
Speaking during a debate on the Commonwealth Games transport plan, Wolverhampton councillor Celia Hibbert remarked upon the lack of diversity in those quoted in the foreword of the document.
The document features comments from the leader of Birmingham City Council Ian Ward, Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and head of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee John Crabtree.
It was something Cllr Hibbert took exception to.
“We’re talking about the foreword, and we have three white blokes speaking in the foreword, which is unsurprising,” she said.
“Visuals have a lot to play in people’s minds – the first paragraph talks about Birmingham as a multicultural society – that’s not reflected in the pictures we have in front of us.
“And for me, when I see a document like this and open it up, before I read it I actually have a flick through.
“And this speaks volumes about where we are in terms of diversity at the moment. So we have to
think really really hard about these things. We need to start being proactive and actually start doing something different.
“Because these are always the people at the top – I mean, when you look at the top management, it is going to be white, male people.
“So you telling me that they’re working on it isn’t really an excuse anymore.
“Because this is slowing down the process we’re making as a collective community.
“We need to actually start doing something more progressive, more radical, so that we can make sure there’s fair representation.”
Anne Shaw, Director of Network Resilience for Transport for West Midlands, also attended the meeting to discuss the new transport plan.
And she admitted that, while the current state of play was not good enough, there were people trying to improve the situation.
“Just to make a comment on the foreword, and I appreciate what everybody is saying, but these are the two political leaders, and John Crabtree is the Chair of the Organising Committee,” she said.
“Just to reassure you that Deborah Cadman, our chief executive – in every meeting I’ve been to – she challenges this constantly, in terms of the lack of diversity within some of those organisations.
“And they’re addressing that in terms of who they’re inviting to join the Organising Committee, but these are currently the three people that are in charge of this event, and unfortunately I can’t do anything to change that.”
We have three white blokes speaking in the foreword, which is unsurprising
Cllr Celia Hibbert