Lincolnshire Voice

TO: info@equalityhumanrights.com

Sir/ Madam,

I am concerned about what seems to be the Equality and Human Rights Commission's double standards when it comes to ethnicity qualifications for organisations promoting particular kinds of ethnicity.

I understand that the Multi-Cultural Organisation for Dumfries and Galloway excludes ethnically British people from membership much like the British National Party is confined to those of indigenous British stock, excluding those of foreign ethnicity; and yet you are not pursuing the former organisation in the courts, but you are the latter. This does not seem to be very equal. Surely, if your understanding of the law is right, you should be equally pursuing both organisations, or neither. You would therefore seem to be in breach of your own professed values against treating different ethnic groups (and their respective organisations) differently. This will cause resentment amongst the indigenous ethnic community and may encourage them, quite rightly, to side with the group being racially discriminated against, in this case, the British National Party. Surely equality of treatment must cut both ways if the Commission is to have the confidence of all racial groups in Britain, including the majority racial group.

I look forward to your explanation for your activities.

Yours sincerely,

Revd RMB West
Moderator, Christian Council of Britain.
Member of Lincolnshire Council for Racial Equality, 2005-2006

(we will post the reply, should we get one! Ed)