Today I co-chaired alongside Kirsten Oswald an All-Party Parliamentary Group on the topic of the racialised democratic deficit.

We had an impressive panel of speakers, including our keynote speaker, Anum Qaisa MP.

This event attempted to address the issue of political exclusion and discuss how we dismantle barriers to political participation. Voter ID is of course a very live issue, but not the only barrier to participation.

It is clear that sweeping reforms are needed to build a more representative and meaningful democracy, including tackling the long-standing challenge of political exclusion and spreading the power of the vote. This is important because for decades black and minority ethnic voting patterns have not been a high priority for political parties and the wider public. If a group does not engage in elections, political parties will be less incentivised to represent or support their interests.

Thank you to all who turned up to the event, and thank you to our amazing panelists who all offered valuable perspectives on the democratic deficit in marginalised communities.