Prime Minister to ‘shine light on injustice’ with audit to root out racial disparities

THERESA MAY has launched an audit of public services to root out racial disparities as part of a drive to tackle inequality and reveal “difficult truths”.

The Prime Minister has ordered Whitehall departments to identify and publish information showing how outcomes vary for people of different backgrounds in a range of areas including health, education and employment.

Described by Downing Street as unprecedented, the audit aims to give every person the ability to check how their race affects the way they are treated by public services. Data gathered under the exercise will also be used to help force poor-performing services to improve.

Last week a report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that black and ethnic minority people still face “entrenched” race inequality across many strands of modern life in Britain.

Mrs May said: “When I stood on the steps of Downing Street on my first day, I made clear that I believe in a United Kingdom by every definition – and that means the Government I lead will stand up for you and your family against injustice and inequality.

“Today, I am launching an audit to look into racial disparities in our public services, that stretches right across government. It will highlight the differences in outcomes for people of different backgrounds, in every area from health to education, childcare to welfare, employment, skills and criminal justice.

“This audit will reveal difficult truths, but we should not be apologetic about shining a light on injustices as never before.”

The news came after Black Lives Matter campaigning for “justice” over the death of a man under police restraint occupied a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) office demanding action.

Campaigners raising awareness about the case of Kingsley Burrell, who died in 2011 following contact with police, staged a non-violent demonstration in the Colmore Gate offices in Birmingham after a rally in the city.

The protest dispersed when a manager from the West Midlands CPS agreed to take a letter from the campaign group raising 10 key points in Mr Burrell’s case to the director of public prosecutions.