The Southwark Pilot, led by the British Chinese Council and represented in parliament by Neil Coyle MP, is a project determined to connect under-the-radar migrant business owners with their representatives in local politics, writes Romilly Schulte…
The British Chinese Council (BCC), founded by journalist Yue He Parkinson, began the Southwark Pilot last year in response to a perceived gap in representation and integration of first-generation migrant business owners within their local constituency.
The group is represented in parliament by Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, who will join Parkinson and other members of the BCC in drop-in visits to businesses in his constituency.
The group’s identity as a pilot means that it is an experiment, and still in the first stages of its existence. Their work for now consists of visiting business owners in SE1 and SE16 high streets and making themselves known.
Coyle told the News: “Being an MP for our community means trying to help everyone, wherever they or their family originally come from. Southwark is home to so many people with international heritage, including students from China at the Elephant and Castle and people from Hong Kong making a new home in Rotherhithe.
“The pilot has helped reach out to a local community who often remain disconnected from government and representatives and I hope to be able to demonstrate that I am here for everyone.”
The project’s aims were put into action at an event last month at Fiery Flavours, a Surrey Quays restaurant specialising in fare from the Hunan region of China, where Coyle was introduced to the restaurant’s owner, Tao Xu, and connected with other members of the BCC.
Mr Xu discussed the importance of migrant entrepreneurship regardless of the difficulties owners may face, especially in the hospitality sector.
“I am an employer and I give back to the community. In China, food is everything. The business decisions are made at meals,” he said.
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Kan Koo MBE, CEO of Cosmo restaurant group and honorary advisor at BCC, reflected similar sentiments regarding the first-generation migrant demographic in the restaurant industry.
“Food is happiness. So I will live a very happy life! Many British Chinese restaurants cater to British tastes, but there is more and more interest in regional cuisine. Both are important,” he said.
Parkinson aims to make UK’s democratic system and civic structure understood by business owners from migrant backgrounds; she claims that there is not enough support, and that community integration is an issue.
She said: “People take it for granted. It is alien knowledge for first generation migrants.
“They don’t know who can help them, that MPs represent them. Councillors may not know where they are or how to find them. We are there to fill in the gap.”
Parkinson discussed her personal experience regarding public help with integration, saying: “No one told me how to integrate, how to make myself useful. I felt, ‘I am useless to this country.’ Which is a very frustrating idea.”
She emphasised that the pilot has no political affiliation, and welcomes support from all parties.
“Now, we’re just talking. First of all I need to prove what I believe. The more we get reports back from people, the more that we can prove that the first-generation migrants need more help,” she said.
The group attended a Downing Street reception marking the Lunar New Year, during which Parkinson said she spoke with David Lammy, who reportedly “completely understood” the project’s aims.
“The Southwark pilot starts very simply – by walking the constituency and speaking directly to shop owners and residents. We may already have visited your business or may do so soon,” said Yue in a statement for Southwark News readers.
“Our aim is to create a practical pathway for everyday engagement with elected representatives. We hope readers across Southwark will take an interest, and we would welcome support from other MPs and local representatives who value stronger civic connection at constituency level,” she added.
More information and updates on the Southwark Pilot can be found at the British Chinese Council website.
Featured Image Credit: Romilly Schulte
