Race row erupts over London council merger

A LONDON borough councillor has caused a race row after saying a planned merger between two council administrations would not work because one was staffed by blacks and the other by whites.

Jeffrey Tucker, leader of the Independent Residents Group on Havering council in east London, said the proposed merger between backoffice staff from Havering and neighbouring Newham council was a bad idea.

Tucker said 95% of workers at Havering were white, whereas 95% of workers at Newham were “not white English”. He said workers at his council would find it “awkward and uncomfortable” to work with black colleagues if the merger went ahead as part of a cost-saving plan.

Tucker said it would be like putting an African football team together with an English team and expecting them to be able to work together.

Speaking at a meeting of Havering council, Tucker said: “The ethnic change will be too quick for us to absorb and get used to. We need a bit more time. It’s going to make it very difficult, awkward and uncomfortable for both sides and I think it’s too soon.”

Andrew Boff, Conservative Party leader on the London Assembly, said he was “dumbstruck” by the remarks and that Tucker should be given some diversity training immediately.

“There’s an inference that people of African origin can’t get on with people who are ethnically white,” Boff said.

“That’s deeply offensive. I can’t understand why in 2013 this councillor seems to think that an attitude that separates people because of race is OK.”

Tucker also said Newham was full of “filthy streets” and “unwashed windows”.

“You walk round the streets of Havering and we have clean streets, good shops, good housing stock and a well-run council,” he said.

“Our residents understand we have to take our curtains down and wash our windows, but go around Newham and look at some of their curtains and they’re stuck to the windows. We are putting our well-run council at risk.”

Roger Reid, 43, of Newham, said the councillor should be sacked immediately.

“How can someone who is meant to be in a position of responsibility have such outdated views? This man needs more than diversity training — he needs to start looking at how the world has progressed over the past 100 years.”

The leader of Havering council, Michael White, said he was

The ethnic change will be too quick for us to absorb and get used to. We need more time

“absolutely horrified” by Tucker’s remarks.

He said in a statement: “I can’t believe that a councillor in Havering could make such offensive and wrongheaded statements. Havering is home to people of all backgrounds and the staff at the council reflect the community they serve.

“There will be a great many angry and offended people across Havering — including the overwhelming majority of white residents who don’t share Tucker’s disturbing viewpoint.”

Tucker, however, denied that his comments had been offensive. “This isn’t about race at all — I just think Havering isn’t ready for the level of diversity already present in Newham. I’m not a racist. I have good friends that are black and anyone that knows me knows I’m not like that.”

He said his constituents felt “things are being allowed to change too quickly. You have to give people time to get used to different cultures.”—