An organisation which will receive £470,000 of public money to help remove barriers for ethnic minorities has an all-white board.
The John Smith Centre, which is based at Glasgow University and named after the late Labour leader, has no-one from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background on its governing body.
The issue has been raised with its board by Gourock SNP councillor Chris McEleny.
He said: “Much work still needs done across the country to break down structural barriers that have led to underrepresentation at senior levels in Scotland for too long.”
Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is the director of the JSC, whose aims are to “promote trust in politics and public service”.
The Scottish Government recently announced a scheme which aims to remove obstacles faced by BAME people moving into leadership positions.
About 50 people will benefit from a development programme which includes mentoring and living wage placements.
The initiative will be delivered by the centre and backed by £470,000 of Scottish Government funding.
Dugdale said at the time that the centre had “listened carefully” to the call for action from the Black Lives Matter movement.
She added: “We are extremely proud to now be collaborating with the Scottish Government to increase the scale of this work with a particular focus on minority ethnic young people.”
However, all eight board members are white. They include former SNP MSP Andrew Wilson, ex-Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson, John Smith’s widow Elizabeth and his daughter Catherine.
Also on the board is former shadow chancellor Ed Balls and Prof Sara Carter.
A John Smith Centre spokesperson said yesterday: “We are reviewing our board membership, with a view to expanding it, but that alone isn’t enough.
“What will have more long-term impact is a truly inclusive recruitment process across all of our existing programmes.
“That’s why we’re currently consulting heavily with black Asian and minority ethnic groups and their representatives over the structure and content of all our programmes. We’re also taking practical steps to demonstrate our inclusivity.”
The Scottish Government did not comment last night.
