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Racial divisions are growing in Britain, watchdog warns
By Paul Waugh, Evening Standard Last updated at 11:18am on 18.09.07Britain is becoming increasingly segregated along racial lines and Whitehall departments are doing little to meet their duties to tackle discrimination, a new report has found.
In its final study before being wound up, the Commission for Racial Equality will declare tomorrow that the country is more divided than ever.
The CRE's document, A Lot Done, A Lot To Do, Our Vision For An Integrated Britain, says that segregation - "residentially, socially and in the workplace" - is growing and extremism, both political and religious, is on the rise as people become increasingly disillusioned and disconnected from each other.
But the watchdog, which will be replaced by the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights in two weeks, also castigated ministers for failing to meet their own duties.
Fifteen government departments and agencies, including Whitehall's biggest spenders, face the threat of legal action for failing to carry out their obligations under race equality legislation.
The CRE has "named and shamed" the departments involved and has written to the Cabinet Office detailing its "deep concerns about the widespread non-compliance" around Whitehall, despite the fact that they have had more than five years to meet standards.
The CRE has asked its lawyers to start legal action against 15 government departments and agencies, including the Cabinet Office, health, education, agriculture, local government, trade and industry, defence, the Home Office and the Foreign Office. Among the few that escape censure are the Treasury, work and pensions, international development and the justice ministry. The CRE says it expects its successor to continue with legal action.
The CRE's final monitoring report cites as one glaring example its own sponsoring agency, the Department of Communities and Local Government, which has not yet collected records on the ethnic background of 58 per cent of its staff.
The CRE says good progress has been made by parts of local government and in the criminal justice agencies, including the police. But Whitehall departments, NHS trusts, further education colleges, district councils and the Olympic Delivery Authority have fallen short.
It says the national mindset has changed enough to make the "no blacks, no Irish, no dogs" signs that once appeared on boarding houses morally inconceivable now: "But let's not kid ourselves... An ethnic minority British baby born today is sadly still more likely to go on to receive poor quality education, be paid less, live in sub-standard housing, be in poor health and be discriminated against in other ways than his or her white contemporaries."
Reader views (18)
What the CRE has to say sounds like the biggest load of rubbish. If they found nothing wrong, they would be out of work, wouldn't they?
- Neil, Hampshire, UK
Too much political correctness. Brits will not take it anymore. Now comes the backlash!
- Lordy, London
If the CRE were really about "equality" then why are less than half of it's employees white? Could it be a case of racial discrimination - in which case should the CRE not investigate itself as a matter of some urgency? We should be told!
- Clive, Newton Abbot
Perhaps the separation that is evident suggests that the majority of all cultural groups actively reject multiculturism? Could it be that the majority of people of all groups simply prefer to live amongst others who share their culture.. such as speaking the same language for example?
- Keith Simpson, Wareham, England
Without significant intervention, we will follow the US and find that our young black men are more likely to have a prison sentence than a degree.
Government departments need to show that they are taking discrimination seriously and set an impeachable example.
However, some sectors of the BME groups have to appreciate that while the state should lead, there's a big requirement for communities to tackle their own problems and take responsibility for them.
There are limitations to what the Government can do when certain aspects of certain cultures hold them back - this requires grass roots activism.
So sure, the government can increase the number of teachers, for example, but this can be pretty pointless if they are serving a community that has little respect for the benefits of education.
- Jowo, London
"An ethnic minority British baby born today is sadly still more likely to go on to receive poor quality education, be paid less, live in sub-standard housing, be in poor health and be discriminated against in other ways than his or her white contemporaries."
This is ridiculous. What about poor white British people? Poor white boys are at the absolute bottom of educational attainment in this country, let's not forget that. And if our society is getting more divisive it is partly the fault of the CRE, whose obsession with "race" is a smokescreen for the class apartheid which condemns the poor, of whatever ethnic origin, to a life of bad health, housing and education.
- Sarah N., London
What’s the big deal about the ethnic background of a departments staff? As long as they are getting on with the job who cares. Isn't that racial equality? Unless of course you are going to positively discriminate because they are not from a multitude of backgrounds irrespective of their aptitude for the job.
- Steve, Hereford
As a white English man I see myself as an abused and maltreated minority in Britain.
Well done Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and the rest of the Labour party multiculturalists.
- Hnery Adams, Manchester, UK
The racial divide has grown for reasons not just to do with institutional failure of government or white racisim, but also the seeming lack of ability of ethnic minority families to grasp modern and contempary eductation, way of life and families. EG the vast majority of women do not work, bringing family incomes below their white counterparts when in many cases they could be equal.
So whilst the institutions of government must be at the forefront of moderninsing Britain, ethnic minority leaders must look to their own community too.
- Rohit Handa, London, Earl's Court
The gist of report is spot on and I welcome it. I'm sure the right wing press and right wing bloggers will hate it but the report just exposes the truth - that people from ethnic minorities are far more likely to "receive poor quality education, be paid less, live in sub-standard housing, be in poor health and be discriminated against in other ways than his or her white contemporaries". Thank God there is a CRE in this country.
- Jacob, London
More of the usual politically-correct, anti-white rubbish. Abolish the CRE/ CEHR!
- Charles, Bath, UK
Shouldn't the CRE start by renaming Whitehall!
- Tony, London
Has the mindset changed enough from the 'no blacks, no Irish, no dogs' or has it just become more covert.
Some newspapers still see nothing wrong in publishing stereotypical 'jokes'.
- David Dee, Canterbury
I agree with Terry. There are a lot of people from all ethnic backgrounds who just don't want to be integrated.
- Paul, London
So it is only the Indian, Chinese or hard-working Pakastani that is successful and the CRE are not including them in their use of the term black? Integration is evil and a discrimination against whites?
This lack of understanding and knee-jerk reaction is at the bottom of many a problem - No wonder things are not apparently progressing.
- Natalia Grant, London, UK
The CRE only come out with these comments to ensure that the department is not closed. They even have used adverts that have been referred back to the CRE for discrimination!
- Graham, Reading, England
Except if you are Indian or Chinese or hard-working Pakistani business people. They all do incredibly well and deservedly so. The CRE trots these comments out for no other reason than its ongoing, evil policy of discriminating again whites, which with the support of Labour, it does very well. White people are discriminated against in almost every public sector institution and a fair few private sector institutions.
- Anthony, London, W2
Ironically by bringing in more and more combatative legislation the government are actually causing further segregation but they'll probably need another 20 years and £50 billion to work that out.
- Terry Roll, London
