Votes for 16-year-olds, all black candidate shortlists and Croydon Council policies rolled out across the country will all be on the cards if Labour wins the next election.

Speaking at a Croydon BME Forum black history month event yesterday the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband was quizzed about ways to make politics more inclusive.

He could not answer a question about why Diane Abbott was removed from her post as shadow public health minister in a reshuffle last October.

But did pledge to look at whether all black parliamentary candidate shortlists would work.

To a packed room at Bernard Weatherill House, he said: “Let’s have the debate. Let’s do everything we can to try and select more black and ethnic minority candidates.

“I’m open to looking at these issues; let’s have a serious look at it across the board.

“I think Diane is a great person and she does huge amounts for our party.”

Your Local Guardian:

The Community Space in Bernard Weatherill House was packed for Ed Miliband's visit

With 40 per cent of young black people out of work across the capital, he pledged to address this issue and make sure every Government department had a strategy for delivering racial equality by the end of the first year of a Labour government.

Mr Miliband said: “Forty per cent is a shocking figure.

“We have a long way to go to deliver racial equality.

“I believe that no matter what your faith or background I believe you should be treated equally.

“When you look at racial inequality it covers every department and every walk of life.”

Another way he wants to get more people involved in politics is to lower the voting age to 16.

With a large group of teenagers in the crowd of people listening to him speak, Mr Miliband said: “We need to hear young people’s voices in our politics.

“I think the Scottish referendum showed that we can give 16 and 17 year olds a vote.”

Your Local Guardian:

Ed Miliband took a look at the Croydon Guardian

Speaking to the Croydon Guardian, after the question and answer session, he said he was proud of Labour’s candidate for Croydon Central Sarah Jones and the job she is doing.

And when quizzed about the council’s controversial landlord licensing scheme, which some people have labelled a ‘tenant tax’, the Labour leader backed the scheme.

He did not go as far as committing to introducing it everywhere if Labour win the next election but was very supportive.

Mr Miliband said: “I really support what the council is doing to raise the standard of private rented accommodation.

“We are determined to make sure that the accommodation is a decent standard and it is a good thing that Tony [Newman, Croydon Council leader] is pioneering it.”

Other topics Mr Miliband was asked about during the public question and answer session included austerity measures, reparations, teenage pregnancy, the NHS, school exclusions, tuition fees and female genital mutilation.