Going backwards on racism – 25 years since McPherson

JVL Introduction

The UK is regressing on tackling racism, especially towards people of colour and politicians are making things worse.  The main focus of this piece is the failure to implement the key parts of the McPherson Report’s recommendations.  The government comes under criticism as though having a diverse Cabinet and a South Asian Prime Minister means that everything is solved.  This attitudes ignores the disadvatange Black people experience at the hands of the police and in achieving their potential in the workplace.

The Labour Party failure to implement all the recommendations of the Forde Report is also noted here and does not bode well for a future Labour government.  Further, from a JVL perspective, the disproportionate focus on addressing antisemitism is also part of the problem.  The government has issued a tender for antisemitism training and a Quality Seal that has, as its “heart that “universities …demonstrate practical commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and to the safety and welfare of Jewish staff and students.”  Where is the broader antiracist context and where as the programmes to address anti Black racism, Islamophobia and racism towards the Gipsy, Roma and Traveller communities?  This absence is compounded by the Prevent programme and the dramatic impact on children of Muslim backgrounds, to say nothing of the racist legislation against refugees.

This article was originally published by The Guardian on Fri 23 Feb 2024. Read the original here.