Prime Minister Boris Johnson took the initiative last summer, in response to reports of poorer outcomes from Covid-19 infection in certain ethnic minority groups, and just as Black Lives Matter anti-racism protests were erupting in several British cities He decided to do what comes naturally to politicians and proposed setting up a commission to investigate “race and ethnic disparities in the UK”. Dr Tony Sewell, an educationalist, was then approached to chair what was to become the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, with nine of its ten members chosen from people with ethnic minority backgrounds. The members first met virtually in July 2020, but were prevented by the ongoing pandemic from ever meeting in person during the course of their deliberations
The commission pored over data collected over the preceding five years by the Cabinet Office’s Race and Disparity Unit, read “expert” evidence, and “spoke to communities”. The end result was a 258-page report, inclusive of 24 pages of appendices, which was released by the government on 31 May 2021. The report made a total of 24 recommendations to achieve equality. These recommendations have four broad themes: to build trust between communities and their public services and institutions, to promote fairness of opportunity, to allow better control by individuals over decisions that impact their lives, and to create a genuinely inclusive UK society. These themes cover the four areas of education and training. employment, crime and policing, and health,
The report met with a mixed response, as might be expected, and has been described in some quarters as being “divisive”. Supporters claim it shows that the UK has turned a corner, thereby setting a good example for other white-majority countries, including the EU’s member states, to follow suit. Detractors have viewed it as a patronising and “out-of-touch” document, which ignores the daily harsh realities of persistent racism in Britain and even declares “institutional racism” to be a thing of the past.
The report opens on a triumphal note. According to the commissioners, the new multi-ethnic UK is an open, inclusive and participatory society, with better relations between the races, where immigrants have good reason to feel optimistic about the future. People from ethnic minority backgrounds benefit from equal opportunities, even climbing their way up to the highest levels of Mr Johnson’s very own Cabinet. Elite professions and Oxbridge are also becoming more diverse and the ethnic pay gap continues to shrink. Besides, all ethnic minority communities are not equally disadvantaged, making the all-inclusive term BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) meaningless as these groups vary so widely in their aspirations and in the ways in which they have chosen to adapt to life in Britain.
According to the Commission, racism has yet to be eradicated completely from the UK, as reflected in some residual undesirable attitudes, behaviours and policies, and even though the precise definitions of racism and its institutional, structural and systemic variants are by no means agreed upon. Irrespective of actual definitions, people of ethnic minority background are not the only victims of circumstances in today’s society. The White majority’s working classes are also disadvantaged and often more so, especially in the de-industrialised North of England and in coastal communities. And while race may contribute to poor outcomes, other factors such as geographical location, family structure and relationships, socio-economic status (occupation; income), religion, culture, and degree of integration within the host community are equally, if not more, important. The disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on ethnic minorities is at least partly a result of poor living conditions (overcrowded housing in densely populated inner-city areas), employment in frontline jobs requiring interpersonal contact, and caring for older family members within multi-generational households.,
The Commissioners feel proud of their British heritage, which for them includes the positive influences of the British Empire on its previous colonies, and oppose the ‘decolonising’ of school curricula and the removal of commemorative statues glorifying the past. Their ‘Making of Modern Britain’ teaching resource will, in any case redress the balance, delivering an inclusive curriculum which recognises the contributions of minority groups to British history . As people from ethnic minorities become comfortable with their new-found British identity, there will no longer be any need for diversity training. Disalienating references to ‘White privilege’ and ‘White fragility’ should also be dropped as the races continue to come closer together.
The short time made available, in the midst of a pandemic, has inevitably compromised the scope of the Commission’s investigations. Much of what the commissioners have to say is already well-known and undisputed .What is new is their particular spin on the issues they have identified. Specific noteworthy recommendations include the abolition of the misleading BAME acronym and establishment of a new independent Office for Health Disparities. Some recommendations, like those of similar commissions, are nothing more than ambitious aspirations, most likely to remain unachievable.
The commissioners refer to multiple reviews of racial and ethnic disparity commissioned by successive British governments since 2010, and claim that their report differs by virtue of exploring the underlying causes of disparities rather than merely fixing specific concerns. The document, however, seems to reflect the personal opinions of some of the commissioners, uninfluenced by their recent “journey of discovery”. It might be of some interest that another review with different conclusions, along with a 16-point plan to tackle racism, was published on 18 March, by the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England, a body I am more familiar with. There are indeed many different perspectives on racism, and the commissioner’s particular conclusions may not resonate with some sections of the public whose concerns they are aiming to address. Either way, it is now up to the UK government to decide what next to do with its Commission’s much-awaited report.
Ashis Banerjee