Companies may soon be required to publish their ethnic pay gaps under new legislation following a review ordered by Downing Street.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week confirmed the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities would reconsider current legislation which only requires organisations to publish a disparity in gender pay.
The new proposal, which follows years of mounting pressure for the government to review race issues, comes amid a rise in Black Lives Matter protests across the country following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
Under the current regulations, which came into effect in 2017, businesses are required to publish data on their gender pay gaps.
The head of the No 10 policy unit Munira Mirza (pictured), will set out the terms of the new government commission
Workers removed parts of the window at Bristol Cathedral which are dedicated to the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston
However the review will now look to extend the disparity in pay between ethnic groups and is said to be ‘data driven rather than ideology-driven’, a source told The Times.
The head of the No 10 policy unit Munira Mirza, has been appointed to set the terms of the new government commission- whose members are yet to be decided.
Joining Ms Mirza will be the founding chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, and the equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch, who will be in charge of the review and will report to Mr Johnson.
The reviews follows years of mounting pressure from campaigners who have argued that there have been six reviews into race issues published within the past three years.
Following Ms Mirza’s appointment, the Prime Minister was accused of waging a ‘culture war’ by allowing her to play a major role in setting up his commission on racial disparity.
Ms Mirza, who was born in Oldham to Pakistani parents, has previously questioned the existence of institutional racism and hit out at a ‘culture of grievance’ among anti-racism campaigners.
Her involvement in establishing the body was condemned by shadow justice secretary David Lammy, who claimed her role undermined the commission.
Boris Johnson confirmed the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities would review racial inequality
A worker removes the name of Edward Colston from the music venue Colston Hall in Bristol
Mr Lammy previously led a review of the treatment of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups in the justice system for the Tory government under David Cameron and Theresa May.
He said: ‘My review was welcomed by all parties: (Jeremy) Corbyn, Cameron and May. But Munira Mirza went out of her way to attack it.’
Mr Lammy accused the Prime Minister of not listening to the Black Lives Matter campaign, and instead claimed ‘he’s trying to wage a culture war’.
Labour MP Zarah Sultana said Ms Mirza was ‘utterly unsuited’ to the role and her involvement ‘shows how little the Government cares about tackling systemic racism’.
Firing back at the criticism home secretary Priti Patel said Ms Mirza was the victim of an ‘orchestrated pile-on’ after a series of Twitter users condemned her involvement in the commission’s establishment.
Black Lives matter protesters gather near London’s Waterloo Station following a rise in protests across the country
Ms Patel said: ‘Munira Mirza is one of the most talented people working in government. She has dedicated years of her life to public service.
‘A self-made woman who knows her own mind. This orchestrated pile-on is deeply unpleasant.’
Former chancellor Sajid Javid also shared his support for Ms Mirza and said she was ‘smart, compassionate and deeply committed to social justice’.
‘One of the sharpest minds inside No 10,’ he said.
‘No wonder the Left don’t like her.’
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the commission will be chaired by an ‘independent figure’ who will be announced ‘in due course’.
‘Munira is the Prime Minister’s head of policy, so you would expect her to be involved in setting this up,’ the spokesman said.
Ms Mirza, who served as one of Mr Johnson’s deputy mayors while he ran London, used an article on the Spiked website to criticise the Lammy review in September 2017.
She said Mr Lammy implied that BAME people did not trust the justice system because of ‘institutional bias and discrimination’.
Ms Mirza wrote: ‘Certainly there is a historic legacy here from previous decades, but it is equally possible that the current accusations of institutional racism by lobbyists and activists – a perception more than a reality – is behind the further corrosion of public trust.’
Mr Johnson defended his commission on Monday, following criticism that action rather than another review is needed.
He told reporters in Downing Street: ‘The whole point of having a review is to look at the areas where people feel there’s more that needs to be done.
‘I think what we want to do is learn now very fast what fresh changes we need to make.