Coalition is committed to equality: Cameron

The Independent/London

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have written to the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence seeking to reassure her of the coalition’s commitment to equality.

After Doreen Lawrence accused the Government of ignoring race relations issues, the prime minister and his deputy sent a joint reply paying tribute to her work and insisting they “care a great deal” about the subject.

Lawrence claimed last week that Cameron and Clegg ignored a letter she wrote to them a month ago raising concerns that the lessons of Sir William Macpherson’s inquiry into the death of her son were being ignored.

She highlighted the review of the public sector equality duty (PSED), which ensures the impact of Government policies on minorities is fully assessed, announced by Home Secretary Theresa May earlier this year.

In a letter, Cameron and Clegg wrote: “We recognise how important it is to ensure the legacy of Stephen’s murder and Lord Macpherson’s report will never be lost. That legacy was to change fundamentally and forever the way we think about race in this country.

“We know you have worked tirelessly to drive these improvements and are extremely grateful to you for your work. We also want to reiterate the Government’s commitment to equal treatment and equal opportunity.

“We care a great deal about making sure our policies never marginalise or discriminate.”

They added that it was a “good time” to ensure the PSED was “working as intended” and said the review would be undertaken by an “independent high-level steering group” and subject to intensive consultation.

“We can assure you that we will involve a wide range of organisations,” they wrote.

In January, two men - Gary Dobson and David Norris - were jailed for life for Stephen’s murder in 1993. Mrs Lawrence continues to press for the tracing and arrest of others involved in the murder.