Labour councillors will be asking B&NES Council to play its full part in addressing racism at a meeting next week (23 July).

Cllr Grant Johnson (Labour, Paulton) who will be moving the proposals at a meeting of Full Council said: "The killing of George Floyd in the United States has led to a justified outpouring of hurt and anger across the globe.

"Official figures show that in 2018-2019, the police in England and Wales were three times more likely to arrest a black person than a white person and five times more likely to use force. Black people were more than nine times as likely to be stopped and searched.

"Since 1990, 1,743 people in England and Wales have died following contact with the police. As a proportion of the population, black people are more than twice as likely to die in police custody and force or restraint is more than twice as likely to be involved in their deaths.

"The government's review into the impact of coronavirus has shown that black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die than white people in England and Wales.

"Residents in Bath and North East Somerset pride themselves on their tolerance. However, the sad reality is that racism remains a shameful aspect of life here as elsewhere and must be confronted.

"B&NES Council must play its part in addressing deep-seated inequalities. If agreed, the motion will help us do that. We should be examining the culture of the Council and making sure that we meet the needs of those we serve. Where we need to take action to address race inequality, we must be prepared to do so".