It has been an interesting weekend, we have been busy responding to two very different local authorities (Newham and Redbridge) on their Equality and Cohesion Plans and Strategies. Lengthy diatribes to both on how yet even more could be done. Then bang right in the middle you cry what’s it all for?
You would expect us to say that the Prime Minister has got it wrong, and we’re not going to disappoint you on that!. But our reasons for why he has got it wrong are not too do with some woolly left liberalism, (we like the thought of muscular liberalism, if only to help us rearrange the office furniture) but more with the issue of the state itself. It was the same mistake made by the previous government.
The Prime Minister’s speech http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2011/02/pms-speech-at-munich-security-conference-60293 was a nice attention grabbing headline, giving credence to the EDL as they march through Luton, and the BNP as they protest against the building of a mosque in Barking & Dagenham.
Yet what’s the basis for this claim, and where’s the evidence? As public policy making is so intent on providing evidence to back up its claims its amazing that the Prime Minster was unable to provide one shred of evidence to support the claim other than infer a link with the issue of terrorism. Remember the Place Survey has already been scrapped (which was one of the few indicators we had to check how well communities were getting on). Not perfect but it was better that the alternative which is nothing
I suppose the Prime Minster felt safe saying what he did far away on German shores, and it comes the same week as a report looking at view on immigration from around the world “Transatlantic Trends – Immigration 2010”. http://www.gmfus.org/trends/immigration/2010/
According to which 65% of British respondents viewed immigration as more of a problem than an opportunity (one of the defining features of multiculturalism), a further 58% agreed that immigrants took jobs away from the native-born, and 48% through immigration negatively affects British culture. Yet the immigrant share of the population is only 10.8%, so roughly one in 10 people in the UK is an immigrant.
So what’s the answer, we get people to engage with the mainstream, and certainly that is a very strong feature for many local authorities as they develop their equality and cohesion plans for the forthcoming period.
Two very different local authorities one Labour (Newham) one Coalition (Redbridge) have developed plans that are currently being consulted upon. Newham continues to focus on socio economic duty, despite it not being within the legislative framework since it was ruled out by the Government in October, well done them because poverty does fuel contempt and mistrust. In saying otherwise the Prime Minister’s speech was ignoring the whole issue of INEQUALITY.
Barking and Dagenham meanwhile is keeping itself busy with a more detailed look into the role of different local stakeholders in promoting specifically cohesion. It was reassuring to hear a leading councillor from Barking & Dagenham vehemently say that that they would not be moving away from Cohesion because that was what was needed locally. And that is part of the problem, a bit like the immigration cap, state sponsored multiculturalism and state sponsored criticism of multi culturalism just does not fit.
And so in a perverse way we’re back to square one. The commission for integration and community cohesion set up under the previous government and was set up after 7/7 to discuss the aftermath for all communities post the bombings, ended up going far beyond its initial remit and calling for mainstreaming of integration. And certainly as far as migration issues are concerned integration has become the framework for discussions.
No one is pretending that getting people of different backgrounds to live together in harmony is easy, yet it is also based on a romantic assumption about communities, presuming that there were actually neighbourhoods (pre Big Society) where you could leave your back door open, and if something got stolene it was by one of your own, and justice was met out, outside the rule of law. Children could play out late and not worry, never mind they had more of a chance of getting knocked down by a car!
So what are we left with to promote people of different cultures and backgrounds, oh lets be honest races, living together. Well there is always UK Day, forget the May Day bank holiday that’s pointless. Have a day in the autumn where we can all mull away the day being thankful for the shorter working week (that is those of us left with jobs by then).
The proposal for a UK day is weird, it is state MONO CULTURALISM of a kind: yet who is going to define the UK, the values cited by the Prime minister are actually ethically sound and based on humanitarian principles. But can you really have a party around
• Freedom of speech,
• freedom of worship,
• democracy,
• the rule of law,
• equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality.
In practical terms it means speaking English (so invest in ESOL then) and creating a common culture and sense of belonging. Sorry haven’t we been here before? The Citizenship Test and the findings of post 7/7 the Commission for Integration and Community Cohesion.
So lets suspend out disbelief and suspicions for a minute and take a moment to look at what UK Day may look like.
9am – wake up its, raining (its autumn, cold, damp, given recent winters possibly even a slight flurry of snow) return to bed for an extra hour
10am – you’re awoke by Morris Dancers jangling down every street in the country, like demented court jesters awake sleepy UK residents. That the call to keep ribbon makers in business and so boosting the economy
10.30am a late brunch comprises of the British Banger (with non meat options available of course for vegetarians) a cup of tea (coffee is too foreign)
11.00am – take a walk down to your local canal, river, the sea (or in the case of east London your local burst water pipe) and feel the nautical spirit that rides the waves of the British conscience, look to all the lands conquered and remember with fondness the days of the empire
12noon Time for town halls up and down the country to raise the Union Jack and local dignitaries given out awards for Big Society champions of the year recognising the achievements of those that its is locally politically expedient to recognise
1.00pm – street parties are held up and down the country. Loads of patriotic bunting
2.00pm – The Citizens Service helps everyone clear up. Like a younger version of Dad’s Army, they’ll do anything that is asked as long as it can be done in a two hour slot between signing on and playing on the x box.
3.00pm The Queens Speech focuses on the achievements of Britain throughout the year. Success is measured in comparison to other countries, so we’re far too civilised (or cold) to march on the streets for reform.
4.00pm Reruns of old and new British films, (despite having being invested in by overseas firms)
6.00pm Pubs open with an evening of happy hours
12midnight – pubs closed
Yes we're relying on cultural assumptions and sterotypes - just like the Prime Minsiter in his speech did. And what does that teach us? Answers on a postcard.
Multiculturalism happens in the incidentals, the chance relationships, the coming together of people for other purpose ie through schools, at places of worship (and don’t presume that places of worship are just monolithic either) it can’t be forced indoctrination via actions like UK day
It’s not the state of multi-culturalism we need to worry about… it’s the state itself!
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