PRESS RELEASE - SIKH FEDERATION (UK)
Issued - 15 March 2005

Labour government is racist

[This press release coincided with Michael Howard's visit to the new Sikh Gurdwara in Gravesend that many of you may have seen on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 News]

The estimated 700,000 British Sikhs are honest, hard working, law-abiding citizens that the Labour Government is ignoring and taking for granted.

The Labour Government has failed to give fair treatment to Sikhs, despite them being the largest and most distinct ethnic minority in the country and being recognised for over 20 years as a separate race and ethnic group by the highest legal authority in the country. (Note 1)

Since the introduction of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 the Labour Government has ignored Sikhs and failed to ensure fair treatment as regards the provision of public services, such as health, education, employment etc. (Note 2)

The Sikh Federation (UK), the first and only Sikh political party, launched in September 2003 to encourage British Sikhs to engage more proactively in the political process has stated:

"The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats have made it clear that it is official party policy to support the separate recognition and monitoring of Sikhs by public bodies. We also have cross-party support from over 200 MPs, including many Ministers, however time is running out for the Labour Government which has to date ignored British Sikhs and our elected representatives. We are grateful for support from many individual MPs - Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, SNP, PC etc. but Labour is taking a big risk in denying Sikhs the right to fair treatment as recognised by law."

"Lawyers have suggested the Labour Government if prosecuted could be found guilty of racism in failing to require public bodies to separately monitor Sikhs for the purposes of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. We feel the time is right for the Labour Government to respond to legitimate Sikh demands for fair treatment. Given the situation with Rover in the West Midlands the Sikh vote will be more important than ever."

Note 1: Sikhs were recognised as a distinct race and ethnic group in Mandla v Lee (1983) in the House of Lords. Race Relations legislation can therefore be used to protect Sikhs from racial discrimination.

Note 2: A petition signed by over 150 Sikh organisations was submitted to 10 Downing Street in July 2002 by a cross-party selection of MPs, led by Oliver Letwin MP, Simon Hughes MP and Labour MPs from Sikh constituencies in London, the West Midlands and the East Midlands.