Debate contribution: Racial Equality Legislation

Debate contribution by Mr Stewart Dickson on 13 October 2026.

MLA: Mr Stewart Dickson
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 13 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Opposition Business
Heading: Racial Equality Legislation
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5789988

Text

I welcome the debate on the motion and will begin my remarks by recognising the enormous contribution that the black and minority ethnic communities make to Northern Ireland. We need to ask ourselves some fairly uncomfortable questions, however. What does it say about our society that we are celebrating Black History Month 2026 against a backdrop of record levels of racist intimidation and violence? What does it say about the Executive that, despite their repeated commitments, we are still waiting for them to strengthen racial equality legislation? In the previous financial year, the PSNI recorded 2,300 race hate incidents and 1,500 race hate crimes: the highest levels since records began. Those figures represent people being threatened in their homes, intimidated on our streets and made to feel unwelcome in their own communities. Let me be clear: whatever concerns people may have about immigration or public services, there is no justification — no justification whatsoever — for targeting someone just because of their race, nationality or background. Too often, we have seen misinformation and prejudice be exploited to stir up fear and division and the consequences of hatred spill on to our streets. Condemnation is the easy part, of course. The real test of political leadership is what we are prepared to do about it. That is where I believe that the Executive Office has serious questions to answer. Our race relations legislation dates back to 1997. For how long do we need to consider it? For 30 years? The need to update it has been recognised for a long time, yet the promised legislation has still to be introduced. I therefore struggle to understand how, in the face of rising racist violence, that can be considered an acceptable position. Our Minister of Justice has been progressing work to strengthen hate crime legislation in order to ensure that those who target people because of hatred can be held properly to account. Policing and criminal justice cannot carry the entire responsibility or burden, however. That is why we have an Executive Office with responsibility for equality and good relations. It is simply not good enough for Ministers to stand together and condemn racist violence when it happens, only for commitments to tackle its underlying causes to remain undelivered, because the responsibility is not simply to respond when things go wrong but to create the conditions in which people can live together safely and with mutual respect. I welcome the opportunity to mark Black History Month, but celebrating the contribution of black communities means very little if we are not equally prepared to stand up for their rights and safety. People who are affected by racism do not need a round of warm words or expressions of concern. Rather, they need the Executive's commitments to translate into action. We have waited too long.

470 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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