On Thursday 9th July, leader of the Labour party held a virtual roundtable discussion with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) business owners to discuss the pressures BAME-led businesses are facing due to Covid-19.
Led by Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the event was the latest in a series of consultation sessions for Labour’s review into the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities. Speaking at the roundtable discussion, Keir Starmer,
“This is a pandemic the likes of which we have never seen. And it has had a disproportionate impact on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. It has picked away at inequalities which were already there.
“The coming economic challenge is going to be profound. There is a genuine fear that we will see unemployment on a scale we have not seen for many years.”
BAME-led businesses highlighted their concerns in being less likely to have received Government support during the pandemic. Around half of BAME-led businesses surveyed by one participant had not applied for government schemes, with many thinking they would not qualify. Analysis of loans delivered via the Government’s ‘Future Fund’ support scheme for start-ups has found that 43% have an all-white senior management team, whilst less than 5% are all-BAME.
Sharing her experience, Minal Patel, founder of Marketing by Minal, said,
“I live in a very diverse community in Hayes & Harlington. The challenge has been reaching those smaller businesses and helping them understand how they can apply for loans. Because a lot of the paperwork is so involved that they don’t even know where to start.
“There has to be outreach, but once that outreach happens, business owners can’t just be left with a pile of papers. Without help for these business owners at the grassroots, I think a lot of businesses that are led by people of colour are going to miss out.”
Whereas, Shermeena Rabbi, founder of Unlocking Language, said,
“We have had conflicting information on PPE. We’ve made the decision not to open our physical clinic until September because we feel it’s not safe enough. We’re in a community where there is a high number of Bangladeshi people, and we already know that Bangladeshi people are at 50% higher risk.
“Half of my workforce are also BAME, so I am looking for more guidance on how to protect my workforce.”
Other members who attended the meeting included Marsha de Cordova MP, Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary; Anneliese Dodds MP, Shadow Chancellor; and Chi Onwurah, Shadow Minister for Digital, Science & Tech and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic Business Owners.
