What are your initial thoughts on John Denham’s speech today?

I thought it was a very good speech in which he makes some very apposite points. I don’t think what we’re saying is that race discrimination isn’t alive and well in this country – it certainly is. But what we’re saying is that there are other factors which are important too: the idea that race will always be obstacle is not necessarily the case now.

Is he right to describe the current debate as ‘one-dimensional, that assumes all minority ethnic people are disadvantaged’?

Take my area in Lambeth. Traditionally black boys are seen to be underachieving but in comparison to other groups here black African boys are outperforming others at GSCE level and have been doing so for several years.

Our approach needs to be more sophisticated in how we address race equality issues, we’re going beyond now simply lumping groups into one and talking about BME. Situations vary from group to group. Black African boys are outperforming other groups, and in Lambeth they outperform white working class boys, so you see if we focus just on race then we don’t get the full picture.

To what extent are improvements thanks to the government’s ‘diversity agenda’?

One wouldn’t necessarily attribute this wholly to the government, but important changes since 1997 include setting up the Lawrence inquiry, out of which came the Macpherson report which has had a massive effect on how organisations look at themselves and how the public feel about them. I say this both political and professionally – as an employment lawyer I see how things have changed. Cultural attitudes are changing too. Year on year you will see figures showing that people’s objections to a relative or close friend marrying someone from another ethnic group have dropped substantially. So there is cause for optimism, but new challenges emerge too.