THE first Asian Muslim mayor in Wiltshire has asked people to work together to tackle racial abuse in the town.

Councillor Junab Ali, who was mayor in 2018-19, said he had to deal with racism and prejudice at a very young age after moving to Swindon from Bangladesh.

He said: “I’ve suffered from racism during all my life. It has come a long way, but we have got a long way to go yet.

“There is change, but it’s very hard to change the mindset of the institution. Just as an example, even my own council, it’s very hard to change the way of working, and all prejudice and racism.”

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He said it took him two years to get the council to set a place he could use for prayer.

He added: “Directly, people might not racially abuse you but indirectly you do get that. Even as a mayor, I faced barriers even in my council.

“I’m going to be very open and critical because I hope that changes the work ethics and my own council’s institution, to realise that even their councillors are not immune from prejudice, racism, and hate.”

He believes Brexit and coronavirus may have been some of the reasons for the rise in the number of offences in Swindon.

READ MORE: Victims urged to report hate crime in Swindon as many go unreported

Coun Ali is currently the vice-chair of the police and crime panel of Wiltshire and Swindon.

“Some think they have been given the free card to abuse people, thinking they would not get the full force of the law on them if they did criticise someone,” he said.

“We take very seriously any kind of allegations like that because we should not be letting people abuse people of colours or of different religions or of different parts of the world. It is not okay.”

He is working with communities to build relationships and provide them with a better understanding of discrimination.

He said: “Swindon is a very diverse town, and I’m very proud of that, it’s a very rich, vibrant culture. We should celebrate each other differences, let’s work together because, in that way, people would feel safe, people would feel happy, and we would have a better town and a better community.”

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “We take very seriously matters of racism and discrimination in the workplace and we aim to be a community leader in equality, diversity and inclusion.

“We have made great efforts to ensure our staff are not discriminated against while at work. Through staff surveys, the formation of a staff-led equality group and regular training and workshop opportunities, we have given our employees a strong voice in the workplace.

“We have also led local efforts to tackle discrimination in the wider community. We have hosted community events to hear the views of residents on all issues relating to equality and inclusion and have supported the voluntary sector through the Swindon Voluntary Equality Coalition.

“Along with the Wiltshire Police, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, the NHS and the Probation Service, the council is a key member of the Community Safety Partnership, which works to combat hate crime and promote community cohesion. We work with community groups and faith groups to help reduce incidents of hate crime and to encourage their reporting.”