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Mayor Boris Johnson is taking a battering today after wide ranging cuts to multicultural events were revealed. Black History Month, saw it's budget decimated- going from £132,000 to £10,000. Africa Day's £100,000 grant from the London Development Agency was axed completely. Funding for Jewish events was halved to £50,000, Money for St Patrick's Day was also trimmed. The winner it seems is a little known "USA Day" which is receiving a huge boost in funding from £35,000 to £100,000. Labour Assembly Member Jennette Arnold said: “The Mayor has made a clear choice to cut multicultural events in favour of a USA Day. Londoners will decide." Supporters of St. George's Day also see a £36,000 rise to £136,000. Former Mayor Ken Livingstone who pioneered many of the events now being cut said Johnson's actions were "outrageous".
Mayor has “failed to re-engage” with blacks
Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote, and recently appointed race commissioner at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, told The Guardian the decision to cut Black History Month funding showed Johnson had failed to "effectively re-engage" with London's black communities - something Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes apparently admitted to a group of Black community leaders. A spokesman for the mayor insisted that the GLA "is not and cannot be a cash cow nor a financial lifeline". Adding: "Events must have local and community support if they are to add value and make a proper contribution to community cohesion in London, and as has been seen with the celebrations for St Patrick's Day and a new Jewish cultural festival that is coming up, it is possible for communities themselves to create greatly enhanced events, but with reduced GLA funding. The GLA does not own Black History Month or Africa Day, but we would hope community groups would be able to develop programmes that mark these in a similar way."
Rise to, rise
Elsewhere on the multicultural events calendar it does now seem that anti-racism music festival UpRise will go ahead. Johnson came in for serious flack when he dropped the event, saying London could not afford the £551,000 bill. £150,000 will have to be raised and help is coming from the National Assembly Against Racism, Unison and SERTUC among others. Campaigners say they have booked the concert for July 11th, and it will be held at the original Rise festival in Finsbury Park. Co-ordinator Mike Barnard told the Islington Gazette it was a "challenge" to get the event going again, adding: "We feel that in the current climate it's very important that people feel safe and inclusive and when Rise was dropped it was acting as if the problem had disappeared. But racism is a very real social issue and we need people to draw attention to it."
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