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One third of whites claim they are victims of racism
Last updated at 10:16am on 12.08.08
A growing number of white people believe they are the victims of racial prejudice in Britain, official research has found.
Almost one in three - 29 per cent - said they now expected to be treated worse than other races by key public services.
And the number of whites claiming to have been refused a job or discriminated against at work for reasons of race has doubled in the last five years, according to the Government study.
Flashback: Riots in Burnley, Lancs, 2001 when whites and Asians clashed. Many white residents claimed Asians were favoured by the authorities
Seven per cent believed they had failed to win a promotion because of their race, up from three per cent in 2003.
Three per cent alleged they had been turned down for a job for the same reason, up from one per cent.
In addition, the study reveals that most ethnic minorities living in Britain feel stronger ties to the nation than whites.
One in six white Britons feel only a slight sense of belonging to the nation.
Whites also now feel less able than other ethnic groups to influence decisions affecting their local area and the country as a whole.
For example, 41 per cent of black African, 36 per cent of Bangladeshi and 35 per cent of Indian people feel they have a say in decisions affecting Britain, compared to 19 per cent of white people.
The survey of 15,000 people - ordered by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears - is likely to prompt a fierce debate about the disillusionment of the white majority.
The Tories blame Labour's race relations strategy.
Tory communities spokesman Baroness Warsi said: 'It's no wonder more people feel there is an increase in racism when Labour's multicultural industry is forever talking up what divides us rather than concentrating on what unites us.'
The research found that overall, whites are more likely than those from ethnic minorities to believe that racial prejudice and discrimination is getting worse.
Fifty-eight per cent said they believe there was more racial prejudice now than five years ago, compared to 44 per cent who were interviewed in 2001.
The figure for ethnic minority communities has hardly changed, at 32 per cent.
The survey found that 29 per cent of white people expect to be treated worse than other groups by at least one of eight public services, including the police, prisons, courts, Crown Prosecution service, probation service, local housing organisations, schools or GPs.
Whites identified council housing departments or housing associations as the most likely to discriminate against them.
The proportion of members of ethnic minority groups who expected to face discrimination from one of the eight bodies fell from 38 per cent in 2001 to 34 per cent.
But it remains higher than for white people in many categories, particularly the police.
Tory MP Greg Hands, a member of the Commons communities and local government select committee, said: 'It's a dangerous phenomenon if any part of the population feels they are being systematically discriminated against.'
Overall, 84 per cent of people felt they belonged strongly to the country, including 45 per cent who said they belonged very strongly.
However, nine out of ten Pakistani and Indian people said they felt a strong sense of belonging, compared to 84 per cent of whites.
Reader views (14)
I lived in Battersea SW London for 2 years I had a bad time there most of the Black people there hate whites. I never felt that kind of racism against whites when I lived in South Los Angeles I was able to move
- Jason Laskey, London
This type of racism is rampant in high schools with black and Asian gangs terrorizing others, especially singling out whites kids.
- Brandon Thomas, London SW7
I don't understand how you Brits can just sit back and watch your traitorous leadership flood your own country with foreigners. How is this at all different from a hostile invasion, aside from the fact that you are just sitting by and letting it happen?
- George, United States
Headlines like this will always bring controversy, but those who have commented that this is basically all a myth are wrong. I've had several such incidents. I grew up in Forest Gate, east London, and attended a very ethnically diverse school. On one occasion, in an argument with a classmate, I was called a 'white boy' and so on, and in the end I did lash out. The teacher who pulled me off, who too was black, declined to remember hearing the insults I had received, but put me down as the instigator/aggressor. So I was the only one punished (the first and only time I'd ever been in trouble at school). My parents then moved us all out of the area and my siblings and I started new schools. Now that was nearly 20yrs ago, and I can't imagine the situation has improved.
More recently I was racially abused when cycling near the Brick Lane area of east London. I got the details of the car, including the license plate, and reported it to the police. They told me they wouldn't pursue it as it would be my word against theirs. I know there is good and bad in everyone, but I can't help but feel had the tables been reversed the police would've taken action.
- Scott, London
Whites are NOT discriminated against, the whole idea of this makes my blood boil. White people in this country DO NOT KNOW what discrimination is...pathetic...and yes I am white.
Daveb, London
The only thing that is pathetic is your clueless comments. Only last month our deputy PM wanted to bring in a law that favours ethnic minorities over white men in employment. What about Ken Livingstone's great idea of giving ethnic minorities financial help in becoming a black cabbie? There are just two examples out of thousands
I live and grew up in one of your multicultural utopias....not grew up in Oxfordshire or Hampshire and moved to 'edgy', 'vibrant' London after uni (gated community of course) and let me tell you, anti white racism and discrimination does exist.
Maybe not in your liberal dream world but in reality, it exists.
- Lb, London
Neil, your monthly travel bill must cost you quite a bit. I live minutes from Zone 1 and walk to work in Central London. The money I save goes towards my rent.
And are you sure you've got your facts right? How can you be certain these people are a) foreign b) pay no rent/council tax.
Trust me, my block of flats is about 90% white and since I see the same people daily just hanging around, young and old I assume they either have lots of money or are claiming benefits.
You can single out minorities if you like, but the last time I looked us white folk have some pretty bad traits that we could work on.
- Simon, London, UK
Charlie from Soho;
If white people make claims of racism against them they are not taken seriously by the authorities as they seem to be of the opinion that only white people can be racist.
As an example a friend of our son was with his non-white mates on a bus and group of black youths got on. The black youths surrounded the group, and, was heard by a number of people, said: "leave the others and get whitey..." They did and promptly hit and stole from him. A number of people made statements to the police corroborating the story yet the police refused to treat it as racist attack! Contrast this with the Stephen Lawrence case.
- Mark, South-East London
Whites are NOT discriminated against, the whole idea of this makes my blood boil. White people in this country DO NOT KNOW what discrimination is...pathetic...and yes I am white.
- Daveb, London
I cannot afford to live in central London and must travel quite a distance very early every morning. I work in central London and am surrounded by flats and houses occupied virtually free of charge by unemployed foreigners. How come they can live in zone 1 and pay no rent or council tax whilst the whites work hard and must commute in from zone 5?
- Neil, London UK .
'Almost one in three... said they now expected to be treated worse than other races by key public services.' EXPECTED. So this figure does not refer to the number of white people who've actually experienced racism; instead, it merely reflects the paranoid fantasies of white people stupid enough to be duped by a media running round screaming 'PC gone mad!'. The truth is that white people still have it easier than every other racial group in Britain.
- Charlie, Soho, London
It's taken until 2008 for people to realise that whites are being discriminated against? No wonder this country is finished with such quick thinking like that.
I don't want to agree with the Tories but they are right. Nu Labour's obsession with mass immigration and multiculturalism has caused different groups to be more polarised.
This unworkable multi cultural nightmare has destroyed communities and caused racism and I hope the champions of this will one day pay for their crimes.
- Lb, London
Being white myself I couldn't say I've ever been a victim of racism but we are definitely not all living in harmony as the government and media would suggest.
Far from it in fact.
- Steve, London
Oops - inconvenient statistics based on reality again. I'm sure they'll find some way of spinning it all away though. As usual.
- Rogan, Irving
Thank you "New Labour". You have been doing a great job of destroying the fabric of UK society.
- Michael Smith, United Kingdom
