Tickets to see Jeremy Corbyn cheaper for ethnic minorities

ETHNIC minority groups are being offered a cheaper ticket price to watch Jeremy Corbyn give a speech in Loughborough.

On the East Midlands Labour Group website, the ticket prices for the regional Labour conference shows that black and minority ethnic groups are £10 less than a standard visitor pass.

A visitor pass to the event is £40 however the website offers a “BAME pass” (black, Asian and minority ethnic) which is £30. A youth pass is £15. The event is on February 17. The conference will include speeches from various Labour members, campaign training, workshops and policy discussions.

Reacting to the news, Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan told the Echo: “Its a very odd way of promoting diversity in politics.

“It would be the same as offering cheaper tickets for men or women.

“I think it is an attempt at positive discrimination that has backfired.”

Mrs Morgan said that the incident had also been reported to the police and to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A regional Labour party spokesperson said: “The basic price of a conference pass is the same for all members but, at the request of our East Midlands Regional Board, part of the cost of this year’s conference pass for BAME members has been subsidised to encourage attendance and improve representation.”

Coun Sandie Forrest, chair of Loughborough Constituency Labour Party told the Echo: “I concur with the Labour party spokesperson, that black and ethnic minority members are under represented at conferences, and I fully understand why our region takes that view, and I hope it will encourage people to attend the event.”