‘End UK’s polarising race debate’
LABOUR AND TORY POLITICIANS LEAD CALLS FOR ACTION TO REMOVE RACIAL INEQUITIES IN BRITAIN
INDEPENDENT thinktanks British Future and Bright Blue have collaborated with decision- and policy-makers from across the political spectrum to publish a collection of essays aimed at reducing racial inequality in modern Britain.
An Agenda for Action: Reducing racial inequality in modern Britain features proposals for action to tackle racial disparities in the country. Labour MP Rupa Huq and Conservative Steve Baker both contributed to the collection.
Huq, who represents London’s Ealing Central and Acton, said, “Debate and discussion about race in Britain can be complex and contested.
“One’s opinion can shift in the space of a day from optimism to a sense that we have barely advanced at all. We need to move beyond angry exchanges about language to a cool-headed discussion of the changes to policy that could make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Baker added: “If we can navigate these tricky conversations in a spirit of goodwill, somehow containing malign political actors exploiting division for electoral ends, the prize of a better society in which the colour of one’s skin matters no more than the colour of one’s eyes will be within our grasp. It is a prize worth having.”
The report looked at Britain’s institutions and public services that have been identified as having issues with discrimination, a lack of equal opportunities and not doing enough to tackle these problems. Challenging prejudices and barriers in employment, education, health, civil service and online are among key areas of focus.
For instance, recruitment agencies have been accused of being prejudiced against black candidates, with just three in 10 black applicants saying they felt they are treated “fairly” by agencies.
These agencies have been told they can start to address this by increasing the number of staff from diverse backgrounds at their firms and by setting recruitment targets to openly encourage more candidates from black, Asian, and mixed race backgrounds to apply.
Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, said, “There is more common ground than we think on race.
“Most people recognise that discrimination still exists and it leads to people being denied equal chances in life.
“There is much public agreement on what we can do about it too, once the debate moves from theory to proposals for action.
“The next cabinet may be the first in history with the three great offices of state occupied by ethnic minority politicians.
“More diversity at the top of politics is a sign of progress on race in Britain. But voters will judge politicians by what they do and the impact it has on people’s lives.”
In the healthcare sector, senior NHS leaders have been urged to act now to tackle long-standing inequalities that staff from a minority background face.
Ministers could be asked to provide an annual statement on efforts to combat racial bias and inequality within the NHS.
Those who fail to make progress could also face financial penalties, including with regard to the pay awards of senior leaders, the report has suggested.
Among other suggestions are teaching all children the history of empire and using major events and commemorations, such as the 75th anniversaries in 2023 of the Windrush and the NHS, to tell a story of a shared history among Britons of all backgrounds.
Another proposal is to reduce the use of “stop and search” and give police better and more consistent training in conducting stop and search respectfully, appropriately and impartially.
People from ethnic minority background make up only seven per cent of civil servants. So the report recommends increasing the diversity of the seniors pool by ensuring more candidates from those backgrounds join the civil service ‘fast stream’ route.
And with an increase in online hate and racial abuse, social media companies have been urged to restrict unverified users’ ability to use features that could be used to target others, such as tagging or direct messaging someone.
Ryan Shorthouse, the director of Bright Blue, said, “Political debate and attention on racism and racial inequality in the UK is stuck and increasingly polarised.
“We have a frustratingly circular debate about whether modern Britain is institutionally racist or not.
“Instead of our politics fixating on an academic debate about the terminologies for racism in modern Britain, it is desperately important to instead focus on specific and actionable ideas that will actually mitigate the kind of racism and racial inequalities that manifestly still exist in this country.
“Responsible politics has an obligation to those whose life chances are diminished as a result of racial disparities. The only way to meet that obligation is through action.”