Public sector cuts must not have a disproportionate impact on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, according to Sandra Kerr, national director of Race for Opportunity.

Ahead of today’s Comprehensive Spending Review, Kerr says: “The concern is that the job cuts will specifically affect the ethnic community, which is already disproportionately represented in a number of professions in the public sector, such as the police force.

“It is also highly likely that there will be a knock on effect from the CSR into the private sector, and with many industries already behind in their BAME representation, there is real concern that the victims of job cuts will be disproportionately from a BAME background.

“This will not only hurt the individuals and families involved, but in the bigger picture, will mean that diversity in the workplace takes a step backwards. Slow progress has been made over recent years in ethnic minority representation in the UK’s workforce and the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review could simply undo all of the hard work that has already been done.”