Responding to the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on “Healing a divided Britain”, Angela Rayner, Labour’s Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary said:

“The findings of this report will come as no surprise to the BAME community. It highlights the serious levels of inequality and disadvantage which many experience every day because they are from a minority community.

"This report shows the Tory Government is consistently failing to tackle the entrenched inequality facing the BAME community. The Government has no real strategy when it comes to race equality.

"I fully support the Commission’s recommendation that the Government must urgently produce a comprehensive race equality action plan to tackle the shocking levels of inequality in our society.

"The report outlines the disadvantages the BAME community face particularly in education. This is why Labour is committed to ensuring all in our society, regardless of race, have free and fair access to education. Only a Labour government will bring back EMA and student grants, removing the debilitating Tory tax on aspiration.”