Key Points
- Stockport Council has introduced One Stockport: Together Against Racism, Building Belonging, which is an actionable anti-racism framework to tackle racism and racial inequalities at the council and borough level.
- This started off at the Black History Month event held at Stockroom through the Stockport Race Equality Partnership.
- There are five key action areas in the strategy, namely: leadership and accountability; culture, safety and belonging; voice, representation and impact; equity in policy and practice; and continuous learning.
- Future works will involve recruitment and progression, leadership, community voice, policies and learning, all to be monitored using data, feedback and lived experience.
- The framework was developed through collaboration between council staff, communities, partners, external experts and individuals who experienced racism.
- Stockport Council’s Cabinet approved the framework and the action plan on 15th September 2026.
- Jilly Julian, Councillor, Deputy Leader of Stockport Council said that in order to be an anti-racist one needs to challenge the racism and not just oppose it.
- Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection, said that Stockport Council would like Stockport to be a place where everyone is welcomed, respected and belongs.
- Stockport Council emphasizes that this is a commitment that goes beyond Black History Month.
Stockport (Manchester Mirror) November 09, 2026 — Stockport Council has launched a new anti-racist framework, One Stockport: Together Against Racism, Building Belonging, setting out how it intends to challenge racism, address racial inequality and build a more inclusive council and borough.
The council says the framework turns its stated ambition to become an anti-racist organisation into practical action. It was launched during the Stockport Race Equality Partnership’s Black History Month event at Stockroom, the borough’s creative and cultural centre.
According to the council, the framework was shaped by colleagues, communities and partners, as well as external expertise and the lived experiences of people affected by racism. The authority says it is designed to move beyond a statement of opposition to racism and instead identify and remove barriers that can produce unfair outcomes.
How will the framework be put into practice?
The framework identifies five areas for action: leadership and accountability; culture, safety and belonging; voice, representation and impact; equity in policy and practice; and continuous learning.
It includes measures on recruitment and progression, leadership, community voice, policies and learning. The council says progress will be measured through data, feedback and lived experience.
The framework and its associated action plan were endorsed by Stockport Council’s Cabinet on 15 September 2026. The Cabinet also agreed to support the programme’s continued implementation, monitoring and governance arrangements.
As reported in the council’s Cabinet papers, the framework is intended to inform the review and development of people, workforce and organisational policies. The council has also said that the work forms part of its broader equality and anti-poverty objectives, which include strengthening equality-based community networks, improving inclusive service delivery and increasing workforce diversity.
What have Stockport councillors said?
Councillor Jilly Julian, Deputy Leader of Stockport Council, said the council needed to go beyond declaring itself against racism.
As reported by Stockport Council, Cllr Julian said:
“It’s no longer enough to say that we’re against racism. Being anti-racist means actively challenging it, listening to people’s experiences and looking honestly at where barriers and inequalities exist.”
She added:
“This framework is about turning our ambition into action and creating meaningful, lasting change.”
Councillor Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection, said the council wanted Stockport to be a place where everyone felt welcome, respected and that they belonged.
“Racism has no place in that vision,” Cllr Oliver said, according to the council’s announcement. “This work belongs to all of us. By listening, learning and challenging racism, we can build a fairer, more inclusive Stockport.”
Why was the framework launched now?
The launch took place at the end of Black History Month, but Stockport Council says the framework is intended as a long-term commitment rather than a time-limited initiative.
The council says it made a public commitment in 2025 to become an anti-racist organisation. Under that commitment, it says it aims to challenge racism, tackle racial inequality and remove barriers that can lead to unfair outcomes.
The announcement follows a period in which the council had already been developing its approach through its Cabinet and council meetings. At the Cabinet meeting on 15 September 2026, Councillors Dan Oliver and Jilly Julian presented the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework and Action Plan.
At the full council meeting on 1 October 2026, the framework was described as a co-produced commitment intended to bring about change in the experiences of council colleagues, residents and communities. The meeting recording states that the framework focuses on leadership accountability, safety and belonging, underrepresented voices, data and evidence, and building confidence and skills.
What does the framework mean for residents?
For residents, the framework is intended to influence how the council listens to communities, designs services, develops policies and responds to racial inequality. The council says community voice is one of the framework’s central areas, alongside equity in policy and practice.
The council says its wider aim is to create a fair and inclusive borough where diversity and inclusion are celebrated and everyone has equity of opportunity. That ambition is set out in the One Stockport Borough Plan, which was developed through engagement with local people and organisations.
The framework’s focus on recruitment, progression and workplace culture also applies to the council’s own workforce. The council says it will use data, feedback and lived experience to assess whether the work is delivering change.
Background of the development
Stockport Council’s anti-racist framework follows its 2025 public commitment to become an anti-racist organisation. The council defines that commitment as going beyond not being racist, by actively challenging racism, addressing racial inequality and removing barriers that can lead to unfair outcomes.
The framework was developed with input from council staff networks and community partners, according to a record of the Cabinet’s decision. It was formally endorsed by the Cabinet alongside an action plan on 15 September 2026.
The launch event was hosted by the Stockport Race Equality Partnership, a community organisation that runs educational events at key points in the year, including Black History Month and Hate Crime Awareness Week. Stockroom, where the event was held, is Stockport’s creative and cultural centre and houses the borough’s historical archives.
The announcement also comes within the council’s wider One Stockport: One Future programme, which sets out a vision for the borough to 2030 and aims to improve life for people who live in or spend time in Stockport.
Prediction: How could this affect Stockport residents?
For Stockport residents, the framework could lead to greater emphasis on how council services, employment practices and community engagement respond to racial inequality. If implemented as described, residents may see more opportunities to feed experiences into council decision-making, particularly through community voice and feedback mechanisms.
Council employees could be affected through changes or reviews connected with recruitment, progression, leadership, policies and learning. The council says the framework will inform the development of people, workforce and organisational policies, although it has not set out specific staffing changes in the announcement.
The practical effect will depend on delivery. The council has committed to monitoring progress through data, feedback and lived experience, which may make it easier for residents and community organisations to assess whether stated commitments result in measurable change. For people who have experienced racism or racial inequality in Stockport, the framework may provide a clearer route for raising concerns and influencing future council practice, provided the promised engagement and accountability arrangements are consistently applied.
