The disparity in coronavirus deaths shows we must tackle the structural inequalities in our society
If we are to tackle this pandemic and minimise the awful impact on our citizens we need to be honest with the facts
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Your support makes all the difference.The horrific global crisis caused by Covid-19 has shone a spotlight on the inequalities in every country it has touched and Britain is no exception.
Our inequalities are well documented and sadly it seems that these are now being played out in the grim daily death figures from this virus. Depending upon which figures you look at, black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) people in the UK are between 1.5 and 4.3 times more likely to die from coronavirus than their white counterparts.
Central to our representative democracy is the principle that we have all kinds of voices from all kinds of backgrounds included in discussions. We all bring with us different experiences and perspectives and this diversity allows us to see things that may otherwise get missed.
For many of us with equalities experience watching this crisis unfold, the patterns in who was being infected and dying from Covid-19 have been stark from the start. It is particularly galling then to see those who bring up the disparity and call for an investigation into the reasons behind it accused of playing up “victimhood”.
As a black woman with a disability, throughout my life, I have faced challenges that I have overcome – playing the victim is just not in my repertoire.
If we are to honestly tackle this pandemic and minimise the awful impact on our citizens we need to be honest with the facts. We can’t be squeamish. While we are learning how to fight this new virus, it would be complete folly to ignore the data that is being produced simply for fear of the frailties of some who find any conversation about race or class difficult.
The latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have found that even when you take geography, age, health and wealth into account, black people are still 1.9 times more likely to die once contracting Covid-19 than white people. There are multiple possible reasons for this discrepancy but until we gather data fully and investigate properly we won’t know which ones are involved.
Learning this will equip us better to deal with the crisis as it unfolds and will help us to tackle any future resurgence.
As we move forward as a nation we must also use this information to address the structural inequalities that run through our society wherever you care to look. Before this crisis, black and Asian families had twice the rate of infant mortality, black women were dying during childbirth at five times the rate of white women and life expectancy was lower if you are Bame.
With the help of our amazing NHS, we will get through this crisis together. When we do, we cannot go back to business as usual.
We cannot go back to a society with huge inequalities and we cannot shy away from this vital conversation.
Marsha de Cordova is shadow women and equalities secretary and the Labour MP for Battersea
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