In post-recession Britain, local authorities are facing severe cuts and official accountability structures are being scaled back. Councils face unprecedented economic and political challenges and marginalised communities risk bearing the brunt. In particular Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)communities are at risk of falling further behind the rest of society.The Race Equality Scorecard was designed to enable BME communities to enter into a meaningful dialogue with their council and their partners, to assess its performance and help identify what the local priorities for race equality should focus on.The Scorecard will allow better understanding of the pressures, identification of key areas where change is both necessary and feasible, and the opportunity to work together to make a difference.