THE government sometimes needs a “kick up the arse,” Labour’s Cabinet Office Minister told TUC Black Workers’ Conference today.

Abena Oppong-Asara said that black trade unionists continued to be the vanguard in the fight against racism.

“The two wings of our movement must work together to tackle racism,” she said.

She said some progress was being made, with about 14 per cent of Parliament black, with “66 out of 90 from the Labour Party.”

But admitting that “progress is uneven — two steps forward and one step back,” she told the London conference that numbers on their own were no guarantee of progress.

“Many of us face an inbox filled with racist hate,” she said. “We are routinely mixed up by television interviewers as well as by other MPs.

“I am proud to be one of the first two Ghanaian women elected to Parliament with my sister, Bell Rebeiro Adi.

“I’m also the first woman Ghanaian appointed to a ministerial role.”

Ms Oppong-Asara said: “We must not stop pushing for equality across all areas.

“The fight for equality is not just for moral justice but economic justice. It’s also about decency.”

In a plea for unity, she said: “Together we can achieve real change.

“We need to tackle disparities in healthcare. We need to tackle inequalities in the criminal justice system. We need to strengthen employment rights laws.”

The whole education system should be used to “show that hate is the enemy and not someone’s neighbour,” the minister said. “We need to empower young people.”

“Let’s be honest, we all know that sometimes the government needs a kick up the arse,” she added. “We all need to keep the pressure on.”