“It is not enough to avoid racism, we must be anti-racist” – that was the message from councillors in Reading after they adopted an anti‑racism statement committing the council to tackle racial inequality.
The statement, introduced by councillor Glenn Dennis (Labour, Kentwood), pledges to change systems and structures at the council, challenge racist behaviour and address microaggressions and subtle bias. He said: “Reading is a diverse and vibrant borough, but we must be honest, racism, whether overt or subtle, individual or institutional, still persists. We must acknowledge that racism goes beyond deliberate acts and can also be unconscious, unintentional and indirect.”
The motion thanked former Labour councillors Sophia James and Ayo Sokale and referenced a March 2024 motion supporting Black women.
Cllr Anne Thompson (Liberal Democrats) welcomed the plan: “This is a motion and plan that shows real ambition, and it’s something I’m sure we all wholeheartedly support, so thank you for proposing this in-depth strategy, that I think will benefit us, the council, and it will clearly benefit our town as well. I think we overlook so much talent in the town because of biases not unseen, maybe biases that people are unaware of, we need to challenge that so that we can make the best of all of our people.” The Greens, led by cllr Rob White (Park), backed the motion.
Cllr Ama Asare (Labour, Thames) added: “It reflects our shared values, strengthens our responsibilities as a council, and sends a clear message that Reading stands united against racism. This is a commitment to action, accountability and building a fairer future for all.”
Labour cllr Wendy Griffith (Battle) said the council must look inward: “We must be absolutely clear in our ambition, we are an anti-racist council. Inside the council, it means looking honestly at ourselves, our culture, our leadership, our policies and our decision making. It means addressing disparities in recruitment, progression, and representation, it means creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to thrive.” Deputy leader Micky Leng backed the motion’s commitment to action, not words.
Not everyone agreed. Cllr Raj Singh (Conservative, Kentwood) questioned whether the council was already doing this and whether words had produced change. He said: “I have to ask, are we really saying that we are not already doing this? From what I see, these are still words, not backed by real action. Let me tell you about reality. An Asian couple running a small business in our town, their rates have gone up from £1,800 to £2,600 this year. They are struggling, they do not feel heard, seen or valued. A pensioner of African heritage caring for her disabled husband received £700 in parking fines; she does not feel heard, seen or valued. Communities don’t need words, they need action. What we should be focusing on is social mobility.” He also said such motions often appear around election time.
Labour cllr Liz Terry (Coley) replied: “I have White privilege, people of colour can find it very difficult to get on, because people just see that first. They don't see the person, the skill set, the ability, the ambition. We need to tackle that, it's not enough anymore to say we won't discriminate, or 'I'm not a racist', we have to be anti-racist.”
Conservative cllr Isobel Ballsdon (Caversham Heights) shared an anecdote: “The woman gets her children to hide their Jewish background to try and prevent them from being attacked because of their Jewishness.”
The anti‑racism motion was unanimously approved at the full council meeting on 24 March.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
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