The arrival of Black Parliamentarians 1987

Two years after the 1987 elections that swept Black MPs into Parliament, the majority of them banded together to represent national black interests in the hostile political environment of the House of Commons. The victorious Black MPs confidently announced formation of the Parliamentary Black Caucus to "confront issues of race and race relations...and ensure the development of our thinking as Black MPs".

Meeting Black political expectations was one of the major reasons for the formation of the new group, according to a recently unearthed official programme launching the Caucus. And there were several reasons for this.

First of all, the arrival of Black Parliamentarians at Westminster in 1987 constituted a new departure for Britain's Black communities, who had always been politically active but politically under represented. This group of Parliamentarians was unique in that up and down the country - in big cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester, in Glasgow, Cardiff, Bradford and Bristol -- the Black people of Britain looked to them as "their" Members of Parliament.

Furthermore, the election of the Black MPs was without precedent, not only in Britain, but also in Europe. No Black person had previously successfully stood in direct national elections in Europe in modern times.

Responding to Black Expectations
Traditionally, of course, Members of Parliament combine the representation the people of their constituencies with the conduct of their duties in the Chamber and Committee rooms. For Black MPs, however, it was not enough to be mindful of the needs of the communities that they represent in their own constituencies.

The ground swell of support and endorsement among black people was overwhelming. In response to the rising expectations of black people, three of the four fledging new members, Dianne Abbott, Bernie Grant and Keith Vaz, along with Lord David Pitt formed the Parliamentary Black Caucus.

The Parliamentary Black Caucus 1989 And Its Aims
The new Black Parliamentarians were themselves representatives of the great post-war migration and Black experience with Britain. They symbolised the insertion in Europe of a transcontinental seam of Black diasporic history and they offered new ways of perceiving social and racial relations in Britain.

The historic formation of Britain's Parliamentary Black Caucus was announced at an inaugural weekend of seminars in the House of Commons and the Commonwealth Institute in London March 31^st - 2^nd April 1989.

Bernie Grant, chair of the Parliamentary Black Caucus said: "For us in Britain our formation is a vital development in ensuring the political representation of black people at national and international levels. For far too long the black community has had no voice in Britain and we are seeking to redress that". In speeches and prepared documents the Caucus pledged "to be accessible to the community; diverse in its interests and activities; professional; and to maintain a high profile".

"The Caucus will become a natural focus for the political, economic and social advancement of Black people in Britain, so it will also act as a point of contact between the communities in Britain and the Black nations and communities of the world," stated the official programme.

Furthermore, "It is in recognition of this national constituency that the Parliamentary Black Caucus has been formed. The Black communities are well established in Britain and have great strength. But they have waited a long time for political representation at national level and have many demands. The Parliamentary Black Caucus aims to channel the strength the communities and to move towards the meeting of these demands."

The Us Congressional Black Caucus: A Trans-Atlantic Model
The dream of national representation of Black interests held centre stage with another source of inspiration: the US Congressional Black Caucus.

Bernie Grant declared that "The concept of a Black Caucus at the level of national Government is not a new one. In the United States of America, the Congressional Black Caucus has existed for nineteen years". Much could be gained, he said, from an understanding of some common goals shared by black political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic:

• to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens,
• to introduce legislative initiatives ranging from full employment, welfare reform and education to actions against apartheid and for international human rights,
• to prepare alternative budget policies committed to fair treatment for urban and rural dwellers, to the elderly, students, small businessmen and women and the economically disadvantaged.
• to rise to strategic position in Committees and affect changes in national policies.

Vision For Black Britain
In conclusion, as Bernie Grant states in The Black Parliamentarian journal, launched at the Caucus meetings, the concept and practice of the Parliamentary Black Caucus serves two crucial purposes.

It provides an arena of discussion and decision taking in support of Black communities.

It is a means of raising issues of race and social relations in Parliament, and directly with Ministers and Government institutions.

These issues include:

• Resolving the problems of Black and minority ethnic communities in inner cities in relation to health care, employment, housing and social security.
• Tackling immigration policy and anti-discrimination legislation, and the question of the education and future prospects of young people.
• Addressing foreign affairs questions, for example the economic situation facing Black and Third World countries as a result of the growing debt burden, and the impacts on Commonwealth countries of the Single Europe agreement.

Postscript
Britain's new Black MPs hailed their historic wins as a new era in black empowerment and political enfranchisement. Indeed many black people were dancing in the streets. However, the Parliamentary Black Caucus, despite its vision, was effectively defunct within a year, and has not been revived.

Pressure from constituency Black activists is lacking. No "calls to caucus" have come from new Black and ethnic minority entrants to Parliament.¹ Apparently, say some grassroots community activists, resolution of the needs of Blacks in Britain must rest with the toothless Government Social Exclusion Unit and the crumbs of goodwill gathered by the Commission for Racial Equality.

The score in the national political representation stakes now stands at: Gained - 9 Black and minority ethnic seats; Lost - 1 Black dream.

Click here for more information of the new Black Parliamentarians 1987

¹ As of the current session, sitting MPs Abbott, Boateng, Grant, and Vaz, are joined by Piara Kabra for Ealing Southall. Lab, and the 1997 elections added Oona King, Bethnal Green and Bow, Lab., Ashok Kumar, Middlesborough South and Cleveland East, Lab. and Mohammed Riaz, Glasgow Govan, Lab., and Marsha Singh, Bradford West, Lab. See The Runnymede Bulletin, newsletter of The Runnymede Trust, No.303, 8, May 1997, London.

Note: There are ten Black and Asian members in the House of Lords; they are briefly by name: the Lords Paul, Desai, Chitnes, Taylor, Sinai, Bagri, and Dholakia, and the Baronesses Flather, Amos and Scotland. Lord Pitt is now deceased.