Rushanara Ali

On 2 June the Government published its report looking at the impact of Covid-19 on BAME groups. The report confirmed what we already knew, that health inequalities amplify the risk of Covid-19, meaning that those living in the poorest parts of our country, as well as those from BAME backgrounds, have a higher risk of death during this pandemic. It found that people of Bangladeshi background face the greatest danger of dying from the disease, and are twice as likely to die from it compared to those from white British backgrounds. Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian, Caribbean and Other Black ethnicities had between 10 - 50% greater risk of dying. Here in Tower Hamlets, we have one of the largest ethnic minority populations in the UK which means that many families have been badly affected by this virus. The findings from this report are crucial, yet the Government has failed to set out the actions it will take to tackle these disparities, and the underlying racial and socioeconomic inequalities which have caused this. During an important debate on this report, Rushanara urged the Government to take urgent action.   Continue reading