RAISING FUNDS FOR LEGAL FEES

I am a black (Anglo-African) female councillor serving on a metropolitan local authority who has since September 2021 been the target of what I consider to be a sustained campaign of harassment and victimisation, through the words and actions of several different officers of the Labour Party. I am currently administratively suspended from the Party on the strength of what I consider to be spurious and vexatious allegations of racism and other types of misconduct.

At the same time the Party has ignored my own formal and well-substantiated complaints of anti-black racist and misogynistic conduct displayed towards me and witnessed by others in September 2021. I submitted a full response to the Party’s allegations against me over 6 months ago, explaining why the allegations are false and malicious, and the Party is yet to deal with the matter either through the complaints should have been dismissed without delay

I now need your help to raise money to obtain a written advice from counsel as to the strength of my legal case against the Labour Party in unlawful harassment, victimisation and direct discrimination.

The case concerns the worst form of anti-black racism I have ever experienced. Good equality and diversity practices make sure that the services provided to people are fair and accessible to everyone. They ensure that people are treated as equals, that people get the dignity and respect they deserve and that their differences are celebrated. Fair representation in public roles is at the heart of achieving these things and that is the principal reason why I stood to be a local Councillor. And yet, as one of only two black female councillors, I have experienced the most distressing forms of casual and cynical discrimination related to my ethnicity, at the hands of those apparently in authority, with the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment for me. I have also been subjected to bullying and ostracisation arising from my own allegations of unlawful harassment, and I have been treated significantly less favourably than they have treated others in similar circumstances.

I share the articles below because they capture so accurately what I am currently being subjected to. This demonstrates a pattern/phenomenon in the Party in its treatment of Black Women - especially those of us who dare to call out anti-black racism and challenge the status quo. It is not a coincidence that we have all ended up in exactly the same position for exactly the same reasons. It cannot continue and must be challenged. Not only for our own sakes but also for the sake of those coming after us.

https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news/2021/12/01/labour-rocked-by-new-racism-row/

https://themeteor.org/2021/12/01/councillor-resigns-alleging-racism-and-bullying-in-manchester-labour-group-as-the-reason/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/02/labour-party-racism-allegations-prejudice-keir-starmer

https://novaramedia.com/2022/07/29/it-was-just-relentless-black-and-muslim-labour-councillors-reveal-experiences-of-party-racism/

These articles describe my current lived experience. It should not be tolerated. Power is still distributed unequally in the UK, as ethnic minorities – in particular black women – remain massively underrepresented.

My fight is not just about me; it is also about justice for future generations of black women who aspire to public office.

Legal advice is expensive. Please help me fight injustice and inequality by donating if you can.

And please share on all your social networks.