After consultation with the membership, the organisation representing ethnic minorities in the Labour Party became known as BAME LABOUR.

Commenting on the name change, Ahmad Shahzad, National Chair of the former Black Socialist Society, said ‘We feel tha it is important that the name of our society truly reflects all Britains ethnic minority communities and also our aims and ambitions.

Background

The organisation was first known as the Black and Asian Socialist Society and was created in 1990. Since then the name was changed in 1993 to the Black Socialsit Society. As the BSS the society stalled and therefore at a conference in Leicester in June 2006 a gathering of over 400 black and Asian activists voted to relaunch the society and elected interim officers with the full support of the Labour Party.

New branches were set up all over the UK and then in March 2006 a full national election was held overseen by independent auditors and the Labour Party at which the present Executive were elected and for the first time ever the group took it's rightfull place at the NEC of the Labour Party.

Since then we have held many successful and high profile events including the hustings for the new leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, fringe meetings at conference, training course for prospective parliamentary candidates and also Diversity Night.

We also held a successful annual general meeting in Manchester in November 2007 which was attended by hundreds of activists from London and other regions.

The Prime Minister sent a specially recorded message of support, the conference was attended by Ministers such as Angela Eagle, Member of the European Parliament, Nina Gill spoke and NEC rep Peter Wheeler and Keith Vaz MP and senior Labour Party officials.

Four major workshops, Britain in the World, Stronger Communities, Crime and Justice and families and Pensioners and a special training course on how to be selected as a prospective parliamentary and council candidate was also held.