Labour Party Black Sections (LPBS), commonly known as Black Sections, was a caucus made up of Labour Party members of African, Caribbean, and Asian descent from 1983 to 1993. Its aims were campaigning against racism, demanded political representation of black and Asian members and establishing a group in the party.
Formation
Since the 1960s, the Labour Party has relied on votes from Britain's large African, Caribbean, and Asian ("politically black") communities, its demographically most loyal supporters, in urban areas. Over time, black people stood in local council elections, and even as candidates for Parliament. However, during the 1970s and early 1980s, these candidates were often put by Labour in seats where they stood very little chance of winning.
The Labour Party Black Sections debate emerged in the context of African, Caribbean, and Asian voting patterns gaining prominence from 1974. The call for Black Sections among black Labour Party activists came from their realisation of the significance of black votes, particularly in areas with a high concentration of African, Caribbean and Asian people. Black members active in the Labour Party argued for greater representation in return for the electoral support of their communities.
The English youth riots/uprisings that occurred at the start of the 1980s in Brixton, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and elsewhere acted as a warning to a British society that was indifferent or hostile to the demands of disenfranchised and disadvantaged black people. These urban disturbances provided black Labour activists with greater political leverage in their arguments. While the rise of the Labour municipal left wing, of prominent figures including Ken Livingstone in local government particularly in London, and with the base for the left in the Labour Party in the councils, this created the opportunity to place the issue of black representation on the political agenda.
Parallel organisations within the trade unions, such as the Nalgo Black Workers Group, the Black Trade Union Solidarity Movement, and Black Media Workers' Association, the latter two funded by the Livingstone-led Greater London Council, were set up prior to Labour Party Black Sections. There were two main approaches to the formation of Labour Party Black Sections. For supporters of the organisation, the rationale for its existence was the fact that although for decades more than 80% of black people who went to the polls had voted Labour, this was not reflected in the party's policies, priorities, hierarchy or among its political representatives. Supporters argued Black Sections would act as a transmission belt to get more African, Caribbean, and Asian people into Labour membership and actively involved in decision-making and representative roles in the party. Black Sections challenged the party's historical record of neglect of black community concerns, including its passing in government of racist immigration laws. The Black Section's argument was, if its demands were agreed by Labour, the organisation would provide the party with the electoral support it needed in key inner-city seats. By organising as a section (caucus) within the party, African, Caribbean and Asian Labour Party members hoped to create a critical mass of black people required to change the party so that it could take account of their aims of greater political representation and the adoption of their Black Agenda, brought out by the Black Sections in 1988.