Powerful white blokes are slowing us down, councillor claims

Celia Hibbert, who represents Penn on Wolverhampton Council, said "white male people" were always the decision makers, which she claimed "speaks volumes" for the region's efforts to represent all of its communities.

She called for "radical" action to make sure there was "fair representation" in top positions in the region.

Speaking during a debate on the Commonwealth Games transport plan, Ms Hibbert said there was a lack of diversity in those quoted in the foreword of the document, which featured West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, Birmingham Council leader Ian Ward and head of the Commonwealth Games organising committee John Crabtree.

"We're talking about the foreword, and we have three white blokes speaking in the foreword, which is unsurprising," said Ms Hibbert, who sits on the West Midlands Combined Authority's transport delivery committee.

"Visuals have a lot to play in people's minds and the first paragraph talks about Birmingham as a multicultural society – that's not reflected in the pictures we have in front of us.

"And for me, when I see a document like this and open it up, before I read it I actually have a flick through. And this speaks volumes about where we are in terms of diversity at the moment. So we have to think really really hard about these things.

"We need to start being proactive, and actually start doing something different. Because these are always the people at the top – I mean, when you look at the top management, it is going to be white, male people.

"So you telling me that they are working on it isn't really an excuse anymore. Because this is slowing down the process we're making as a collective community.

"We need to actually start doing something more progressive, more radical, so that we can make sure there's fair representation."

Transport for West Midlands director Anne Shaw said that while the current state of play was not good enough, there are people trying to improve the situation.

"Just to make a comment on the foreword, and I appreciate what everybody is saying, but these are the two political leaders, and John Crabtree is the Chair of the Organising Committee," she said.

"Just to reassure you that Deborah Cadman, our Chief Executive in every meeting I've been to – she challenges this constantly, in terms of the lack of diversity within some of those organisations.

"And they are addressing that in terms of who they're inviting to join the organising committee, but these are currently the three people that are in charge if this event, and unfortunately I can't do anything to change that."

Ms Hibbert has recently been named Labour's parliamentary candidate in the East Midlands constituency of Harborough.