Isle of Man parliament to have 'thoughtful' debate on racism

The debate will take place during the July sitting of Tynwald

Now is the "right time" for the Isle of Man parliament to have a "thoughtful and reflective conversation" about racism, the government's equality champion has said.

Jane Poole-Wilson has tabled a general debate on "action on racism, institutional racism and racial discrimination".

The "complex issue" deserved "unpacking in a thoughtful way", the MLC said.

General debates in Tynwald do not involve a vote on a resolution.

Instead they are an opportunity to discuss new ideas and potential developments or changes to policies in future.

Mrs Poole-Wilson said "various initiatives" as a result of the Black Lives Matter protests meant it "feels like the appropriate time to engage parliament in this discussion".

About 1,000 people took part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Douglas in June

The debate was designed to be "a thoughtful and reflective sharing of views and understanding", she said.

"We cannot say that there isn't any knowing and intentional discrimination or racism because sadly there is," she added.

"But actually a lot of what, when people are talking about their lived experience, it's very often also the unintentional. The comments, the looks.

"These are not necessarily things that people consciously do, but the impact is quite negative and quite damaging if you're on the receiving end of that day in, day out. "

"As a general debate it's an opportunity to start a conversation and some thinking. And hopefully we will see good outcomes and actions in due course, just because we're starting to think more about this."