Black History Month decision 'dog whistle politics', says mayor

Liverpool City Region's mayor Steve Rotheram has described a decision by a Merseyside council to withdraw support for Black History Month as "the worst dog whistle politics".

The period is marked every October and celebrates the achievements, history and contributions of black people across the UK.

However, St Helens Council's Reform leader George Woodward told the BBC last week he believed the event was "racist" and "divisive".

Criticising the decision, Rotheram said: "I think it's the worst dog whistle politics I desperately try to avoid. He says things about British as if we're talking about black people and Britishness being separate."

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside earlier, Rotheram said Liverpool and the wider region had a long tradition of diverse communities.

He said: "I just don't get it, what is the problem with recognising the part that different cultures have played in the melting pot that is the UK population?"

He said "white history" was well-documented as "the history books we read are written by white people", which he said meant "you do need to get a broader perspective of what made Britain great and what made the Liverpool City Region such a diverse area and something we celebrate."

Speaking last week, Woodward said it was "not appropriate for celebrations to centre on one skin tone".

He said: "We can't keep subdividing people into groups based on characteristics like skin tone and religion and ethnicity.

"We think that we should all come together and be one British culture".

Since Reform UK came to power at St Helens Council in May, the party's local leaders have also chosen not to engage in Pride month and the authority has withdrawn funding for any Refugee Week activity.

When asked by the BBC, Woodward said the "jury was out" on whether the council would be marking Holocaust Memorial day in January.

However, he has since clarified that the event will be marked in St Helens.

In a statement, he said: "Holocaust memorial day is an important event to mark one of the darkest times of the twentieth century and it is absolutely crucial to observe."

Rotheram, who sits alongside Woodward on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority cabinet, said while he may disagree with some of the decisions Woodward had made, the Reform politician was a legitimately-elected leader.

He said: "He's the leader of St Helens Council, he was democratically elected and it's up to him to decide on what's best for that area."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.