Minister of Constitutional Reform meets with Nottingham Chinese Community to discuss political participation

On Monday, 5 December 2016, representatives from the Nottingham Chinese community met with the Minister for Constitutional Reform, Chris Skidmore MP, at the Nottingham city council discussing political participation of British Chinese voters. This is the first of its kind for the Nottingham area.

Skidmore MP met with ten representatives from the Chinese community in Nottingham to discuss ways to strengthen the voice of ethnic minority and other voters in Nottinghamshire.

The meeting was organised and chaired by Cllr Alex Yip JP, Conservative city councillor for Birmingham and vice chair of the British Chinese Project. Attendees of the meeting included the Nottingham Chinese Welfare Trust, Nottingham Chinese Community Centre, local businesses, Nottingham Chinese Church and students and academics from Nottingham University.

The minister was in Nottingham as part of his tour across the country promoting Democratic Engagement. He spoke passionately about his desire to see a strong functioning democratic system that can represents everyone.

Cllr Yip adds: “It is great to see that the minister has taken such an interest in our community listening and reaching out to community centres and international students, which have been supporting and helping the elderly and vulnerable and given so much back to British society. It is also encouraging to see that the Cabinet Office is engaging and looking for solutions specific for each ethnic minority group and not regarding them all as lost to society and treating us all the same.”