Andy Burnham has been urged to use his new position as prime minister to help change the national conversation on racism and build a more united and equal society.

David Weaver, chair of Operation Black Vote (OBV), said Burnham had a “historic opportunity” to address racial divisions while tackling the class and regional inequalities at the heart of his political agenda.

Speaking in an interview marking the 30th anniversary of the nonpartisan civil rights organisation, Weaver said Burnham’s focus on devolution, reindustrialisation, technical education and greater state intervention could benefit communities across the country.

He said Burnham’s discussions about class, inequality and listening to communities had the potential to improve conditions for both Black communities and white working-class people.

However, Weaver warned that race could not be overlooked as political rhetoric around migration and national identity becomes increasingly divisive. He said many Black and Asian Britons were becoming increasingly concerned about their future in the UK amid rising ethnic tensions and what he described as the normalisation of racist rhetoric.

Weaver called on the new government to provide legal aid for survivors of the Windrush scandal and reform the compensation scheme, including removing it from Home Office control and speeding up payments.

He also urged Burnham to restore the Labour whip to Diane Abbott, arguing that her treatment had caused deep concern among many Black voters.

The OBV chair said pessimism among Black and Asian Britons appeared to be at its highest level in decades. He warned that debates over “remigration” and calls for some migrants or ethnic minorities to leave Britain were reviving painful memories of the Windrush scandal and earlier far-right campaigns for repatriation.

Recent research has highlighted strong support among some Reform UK voters for policies targeting non-white Britons and questioning the place of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in British society. Such rhetoric, Weaver said, risked deepening divisions and undermining social cohesion.

He argued that the lessons of the Windrush scandal must be considered when politicians discuss migration and national identity, warning that failing to recognise the connection would represent a serious political and moral failure.

At the same time, Weaver said the answer was not for Black Britons to leave the country. Instead, he argued that everyone should have the right to live and be born in Britain with equality and security.

Since its creation in 1996, Operation Black Vote has helped thousands of people enter public life, including MPs, councillors, school governors, magistrates and NHS board members. The organisation has increasingly focused on local democracy, community organising and citizen assemblies.

As part of its 30th anniversary activities, OBV plans to host roundtable discussions, lectures and events aimed at encouraging greater political participation and dialogue between communities.

Weaver said the organisation was also working on strategies to build alliances between Black communities and white working-class communities facing similar concerns over representation and political influence.