Race equality: a new Liberal Democrat approach, Saturday 16 February

Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats and the Social Liberal Forum (SLF) have organised a one-day conference on race equality.

'Race equality: a new Liberal Democrat approach' will take place on Saturday 16 February at Hughes-Parry Hall, 19-26 Cartwright Gardens, London WC1H 9EF from 10 a.m.

The headline speakers will be

• Simon Hughes MP
• Tom Brake MP
• Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece

Other people taking part include Kavya Kaushik, Kelly‐Marie Blundell, Gareth Epps, Naomi Smith, Issan  Ghazni, Rob Berkely, Professor Gus John and Wilf Sullivan.

The conference will launch the first report of the Lib Dem Task Force on Race Equality. Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece, chair of the Task Force, who will be introducing the report at the conference, says:

"This conference could not have come at a more important time. Inequalities in our society are widening particularly for ethnic minorities and especially for young black men. The current assault on the Equalities Act disguised as cutting red tape will weaken the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. It will also make it harder for ethnic minorities to obtain justice when they are discriminated against. This conference aims to put race equality back on the party's agenda."

Gareth Epps, co-chair of the SLF and a member of the party’s Federal Policy Committee, says:

"It is very timely that the Task Force has looked at what needs to be done to back up the Government's commitment to increasing social mobility.  That cannot happen without action to tackle inequality, as Liberal Democrats acknowledge.  This conference is a very important step in progressing the Liberal Democrat debate."

Send an email to the organisers for further information.