England: “Whites Have A Raw Deal”

Nov 30, 2009 1 Comment ›› Pat Dollard

Times Online:

White working class communities feel a justifiable sense of grievance and deserve additional assistance reserved for minorities groups, a Cabinet minister said today.

John Denham, the Communities Secretary, said that government agencies and councils should give more priority to poor white communities who feel hard done by because of immigration and the recession.

The move is an attempt to head off support for the British National Party, which has gained popularity by suggesting that whites are treated like a minority in Britain. It follows two weeks after remarks by Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, acknowledging Labour had done too little to tackle Britain’s immigration crisis.

Mr Denham told the Trade Unions Congress that government bodies and councils have been “blind” to the needs of white working class communities and called for a new focus on the needs of poor whites affected by mass immigration.

He said state agencies charged with tackling inequality and disadvantage should no longer focus solely on ethnic minority groups.

Mr Denham said areas with high immigration levels felt a sense of “insecurity and unfairness” because of the impact of new arrivals on jobs and public services.

Unless councils act, these could lead to tensions and resentment, he said.

“Many local agencies have a clear and good commitment to tackling racism and race inequality and are right to do so. But on its own this is not enough.

“We can only challenge racism and race inequality effectively as part of a strategy that tackles all forms of inequality and disadvantage.

“This must include poorer white working class communities, as well as disadvantaged minority ethnic communities.

“Agencies which have been blind to these issues, or thought their only remit was to address minority issues, must re-assess the way they work.”

Mr Denham pointed to similarities between black and white working class groups.

Poor white boys had more in common with their poor black classmates than with middle class whites, he said.

The inequality agenda should focus on “need” and not “outdated ideology or assumptions which may no longer be true”, he said. These could lead to white working class boys being “overlooked”.

If Government policies are seen to be unfair, he said, they could be exploited by groups seeking to “drive people apart”.

“We have to avoid the perception that some groups are singled out for special treatment,” he said.

“When we target help at one group, we cannot allow others to be left behind, or to feel disconnected.”

“By ensuring that our policies are both fair, and seen to be fair, we reduce the risk that they can be exploited by others who would distort them to drive people apart.

“And we properly address the complexities of the problem: ensuring that the white working class boy struggling in class gets the support that he needs, just as his black and Asian classmates do.”

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: “Councils are not blind to the needs of the white working class, but are aware that more can be done to ensure that no section of society feels left behind or disconnected. It is vital that all public bodies ensure that the work they are doing to tackle poverty and disadvantage does not lead to an unfounded perception that some groups are being treated differently to others.”

The comments will cause a major argument within Labour, with the Communities Secretary encroaching on the equalities agenda of Harriet Harman. He is implying that too much is being done for disadvantaged ethnic communities at the expense of the white working class — a claim likely to be rejected by some Labour politicians who will argue that now is not the time to downgrade the fight against racism.

Sayeeda Warsi, Shadow Communities Spokesman: “Finally, after 12 years an admission of failure by this Labour Government. For over a decade the Conservatives have made the case for fairness not special treatment. The Government cannot get away from its failure to deal with uncontrolled immigration and its failed policy of state multiculturalism. The one sure way of addressing the real alienation many communities in Britain are facing is to call a General Election.”