Question
This time last year I was party to a group complaint, submitted by 76 Wokingham residents, about your conduct with regards your statement, comments and posts about Black Lives Matter and the tragic murders in Reading. The complaint was first mislaid, then mixed up with other similar individual complaints and generally mis-handled. Finally, part of the resolution was you would under-go training about the key messages of your equality policy. When did that happen, and what did you learn?
Minutes:
Question
This time last year I was party to a group complaint, submitted by 76 Wokingham residents, about your conduct with regards your statement, comments and posts about Black Lives Matter and the tragic murders in Reading. The complaint was first mislaid, then mixed up with other similar individual complaints and generally mis-handled. Finally, part of the resolution was you would under-go training about the key messages of your equality policy. When did that happen, and what did you learn?
Answer
I would disagree that your complaint was not dealt with effectively. I would refer you to numerous public statements I made last summer where I apologised publicly for any upset I had caused and sought to clarify my position. Personal letters were also sent to residents who had complained through the Member Code of Conduct process.
Since then, I have carefully studied the LGA Equalities Framework and spoken with many residents, Officers and fellow Members to help educate myself on how the Council can improve and embed its approach to equalities.
As I have shared before, my focus is to help create the architecture and culture within the Council and the Borough to make more meaningful progress in tackling inequality.
In March 2021, I presented the Equalities Plan to Council which I said at the time was a comprehensive guide to tackling all these inequalities. This is not a hollow commitment to tick a box; rather it’s backed up by a comprehensive Action Plan supported by Officers from across the Council to deliver real improvements for our residents and staff through 2021/22 and beyond.
The Council is currently undertaking its Member development programme in which equalities training will feature prominently for all our Members. This will build on the comprehensive training already undertaken by all staff. We are all on the same side. Diversity, equality and addressing need must be part of everything we do and the example we set. No rational person would take any other point of view and no responsible person would play politics with this issue. Every one of our residents must be free to live the life they wish and flourish in our Borough and I want to help ensure Wokingham Borough Council champions this.
Supplementary Question
Another part of the resolution was an invitation for me to join the BME Forum, which was immediately suspended, and to engage with Wokingham Borough Council to assist with your review of your Equalities Policy. Numerous meetings were held with you, Susan Parsonage, Keeley Clements and Matt Pope where you claimed to care about equality and have this comprehensive plan which you wanted mine and the help of other residents in the Borough to improve. At the last meeting, which took place during purdah, Wokingham Borough Council committed to respond to a memorandum of intent after the election by 22nd May. Why have we been ignored since the last meeting when we were given a commitment by Wokingham Borough Council to reconvene with us before 22nd May?
Supplementary Answer
If the Officers have sent you a commitment to get engaged with you then I am sure they will.