Posted for Paul Goodman MP who is the newest member of CentreRight but whose account hasn't yet been activated.
Trevor Phillips, the Chairman of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, seems to have said today that the forthcoming Equalities Bill should be used to help disadvantaged white working-class people. I write "seems" because I can't find a direct quote from him that says this. What's certain is that he said that "positive action" should be taken "to help some white groups".
Phillips, like Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, seems increasingly to delight in tweaking the tails of the politically correct establishment while making a serious point at the same time. He said that "immigration has fuelled resentments that are real and should not be dismissed – resentments felt by white, black and Asian", and highlighted the alienation and disadvantage of parts of the white working-class.
According to the DCSF's own figures, white British boys entitled to free school meals performed worse at GCSE level than any other ethnic group last year. A recent report published by the DIUS revealed that only six per cent of white boys eligible for free school meals went on to higher education compared to 24 per cent of young men from ethnic minorities.
There'll be more to statistics like these than meets the eye. (The 24 per cent figure, for example, lumps all ethnic minority members together.) But there's no doubt that sections of the white working class are seriously disadvantaged.
Parts of that class undoubtedly feel that other ethnic groups have had more attention and understanding from this Labour Government, and from other governments over many years, than they have. Nor is this view confined to one class only.
There's a telling story in the Chief Rabbi's new book "The home we build together". I don't have the text in front of me, but the gist of the tale is that a teacher asks each pupil in a class where he or she comes from. One after another names a different place abroad. Finally, a white English pupil says: "I don't suppose that I come from anywhere".
The point of the story is that there are serious consequences if the cultural heritage, as well as the economic condition, of a very large group of people is neglected by mainstream politicians. The subsequent gap in the political market is exploited by extremist parties. Even more importantly, damage is done to the country's sense of its own well-being.
It's part of human nature to identify people by the groups they belong to – including ethnic groups. But for Governments to target help on the basis of ethnicity rather than disadvantage or need is deeply problematic. The Government-appointed Commission for Integration and Cohesion suggested strongly in its recent report that Single Group Funding – in other words, funding groups on the basis of ethnicity, among other factors – was divisive. Ministers are stalling on issuing a full response.
There are two polarities of view. One would insist that some Government funding for disadvantaged people should always be provided on the basis of ethnicity. The other would hold that all such support must be colour-blind.
There's a case for providing specific, time-limited support to groups of disadvantaged people who've recently arrived in Britain – alongside measures to further a common sense of Britishness, such as "Integration Packs". It's inevitable that some of these groups will be from particular ethnic backgrounds.
But politicians, both local and national, should surely be more exacting and careful about such funding than they've been to date. Colour-blind funding, provided on the basis of need, should surely be the norm. Phillips is asking the right questions. I'm not so sure about his answers. And it's time for Ministers to get off the fence.
