Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable has welcomed the publication of the government’s race audit but has called on the Prime Minister to act on the findings. The audit reveals that:

• Ethnic minorities are twice as likely to be unemployed as white people
• People from ethnic minority backgrounds are three times more likely to be stopped and searched by police.
• Households from ethnic minorities are more likely to be living in fuel poverty or in homes with damp problems.

Vince Cable said:

“This audit shows that prejudice and bias based on the colour of someone’s skin continues to blight people’s life chances, and this is utterly unacceptable in 21st century Britain. It is not right that people in the UK find themselves far less likely to have a job or own their home based on nothing more than their ethnicity – it is an unfairness that should have ended long ago.

“This audit lays out the challenges we face as a society and that will only be overcome if we all work together across party lines.

“Theresa May’s decision to shine a light on this issue means she can’t now shy away from tackling the causes of this inequality – including cuts to public services and a shrinking state. Tackling inequality will need the devotion of all her ministers.

“Where ministers act, they will in turn have our support. Where they hesitate, we will push, cajole and confront them until they do the right thing.”