The Government has set out an action plan to tackle racial inequality and address mistrust by levelling up opportunities and “countering the pessimism that often prevails in debates about race in the UK”. Lack of opportunity should not be seen “solely through the prism of ethnic minority disadvantage”, according to equalities minister Kemi Badenoch in an introduction to the 97-page plan.
The Inclusion Britain strategy, published on Wednesday evening, was developed in response to a controversial report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Cred) last year. Among its commitments are revamping the history curriculum for schoolchildren, issuing advice to employers on how to measure and report on ethnicity pay gaps, and clamping down on online racist abuse through new legislation.
There are also plans to prevent young people from entering a cycle of crime by using more out of court disposals to deal with first time drug users, and to develop a national framework for how the use of police powers, such as stop and search, are scrutinised. But Labour accused the Government of failing to “deliver meaningful action”.
Last year the Government-commissioned Cred report concluded that racism is a “real force” but that Britain is no longer a country where the “system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities”. It also criticised the “accusatory tone of much of the current rhetoric on race, and the pessimism about what has been and what more can be achieved”.
The Government’s new strategy addresses each of its 24 recommendations grouped under three key themes identified by the commission – building trust, promoting fairness and creating agency. It says that events in the summer of 2020 revealed that many believed race relations and opportunities were not improving, but also that others, such as people from white working-class backgrounds, felt left behind.
It reads: “This Government wants to address that deficit of trust both by levelling up where opportunities are genuinely lacking and countering the pessimism that often prevails in debates about race in the UK.” It said it welcomed the Cred report’s emphasis on practical measures to address unfair disparities, whether they are caused by racist prejudice or any other factor.
Ms Badenoch said some of the Cred report’s conclusions were relatively uncontroversial while others “challenged the lazy consensus”.
In a foreword to the publication she said: “We do not agree with those who think that lack of opportunity should be seen solely through the prism of ethnic minority disadvantage. We do not believe that any group is less intrinsically capable than any other – ability is spread across the population.
“But opportunity is not. Therefore, every action in the plan is crafted to deliver on our unwavering commitment to ensure that everyone in our society – no matter their background, gender, sexuality, creed or colour – has the opportunity to go as far in life as their ambition will take them.”
The report also says the Government and public sector bodies should act impartially when discussing contentious concepts around race and give space to competing voices. It says: “This means being willing to reinforce commonly shared values such as opposition to racism, but avoiding promoting explicitly political or partisan views in a way that might suggest bias in areas of genuine debate.
“So, for example, while schools and universities will rightly wish to teach students about current race debates and may even refer to controversial terms like ‘white privilege’, they should do so in a way which fully acknowledges disagreements over the use of such terms and the ideas they reflect.”
Cred chairman Tony Sewell said: “This is a major step towards a fairer, more open and more inclusive society and, importantly, focuses on the practical actions that will improve people’s lives. We all should throw our weight behind this strategy so we can build a better society for all.”
The Government will report back to Parliament in a year on its progress in delivering its proposed actions.
Taiwo Owatemi, Labour’s shadow women and equalities minister, said: “The Sewell report completely failed to identify or tackle the root causes of racial disparities. It obviously cannot be relied upon to address these disparities, and yet the Government has unquestioningly accepted its findings.
“It’s disgraceful that we’ve had to wait almost a year for the Government’s response – and worse still that it agrees with the original report’s denial of structural racism. Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have once again failed to deliver meaningful action. In doing so, they have let down black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.”
A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: “We have long called for a cross-Government race strategy. We will examine this report carefully and respond in detail in due course.”
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