It is stating the obvious to say that where ethnicity is concerned, we are a diverse country, and, ideally, this would be seen in the make-up of our political establishments so that they best reflected the society they serve.

Yet figures show that there are very few black, Asian and minority ethnic women who are elected members of this country’s councils – far fewer than the population percentages would suggest there should be.

Improving these figures would certainly be desirable, but it must be done in such a way that does not interfere with the processes of democracy or the idea of equal opportunities for all.

Positive discrimination, for example, does not work because anyone chosen in this way is immediately undermined by the fact that they may not have been the best person for the role and will be seen as such.

It is also divisive in that any individual or group excluded by such a process will most likely, and understandably, feel aggrieved by it.

But encouraging more women from these groups to think about putting themselves forward for consideration, such as at a forthcoming event in Bradford, seems a sensible approach.

Ultimately, it will be up to voters to decide who they elect, and that is how it must always be, but giving them a broader choice of candidates while getting more people interested and involved in local government can be no bad thing.