Given our ongoing focus on race equality and interest in working in partnership, we were pleased to be commissioned to write a report on local government and participation. Ensuring that citizens have fair access to decision-making institutions is a fruitful response to the widely-noted increase in voter apathy. By engaging at a local level, citizens also learn how to engage with each other on terms of respect and to listen to voices they might not otherwise hear. We viewed this opportunity to support the work of the Commission as a good way to express our concerns and hopes on the future of multi-ethnic Britain. The fifteen key points at the end of the paper provide an overview of our conclusions and suggestions for further action and research.