Race 'No Longer' A Barrier

Being an ethnic minority in the UK 'no longer' automatically means living in disadvantaged circumstances.

The Communities Secretary John Denham said today that progress in the last decade meant being black or Asian is less linked to being socially disadvantaged than poverty, class or identity.

However, Mr Denham recognised racial discrimination is still a major issue affecting Britain.

He said problems within white working class communities must also be tackled.

Labour has made a bid to pass radical equality legislation through parliament before the General Election.

Mr Denham said the UK's long association with diversity is leading to the progressive evaporation of poor race relations.

He said the focus should now be on issues affecting social class, community and identity, which he argues has a heavier bearing on whether individuals reach their full potential.

Insisting Britain is "not same place as it was a decade ago", Mr Denham said: "We therefore have to make sure that our efforts are tackling problems of today and not those of the past.

"New trends that are linked to race, class and identity make the situation much more complex.

"That does not mean that we should reduce our efforts to tackle racism and promote race equality but we must avoid a one-dimensional debate that assumes all minority ethnic people are disadvantaged.

"If the cause of disadvantage is social class, we will promote opportunity. And if the cause is a combination of racism and social class we will tackle both together."

Lord Ouseley, former chairman of the Racial Equality Commission, said strides had been made by the Government in the past year, but claimed "there are still huge racial disadvantages in our society".

"There is quite a considerable amount of hidden discrimination that still takes place in our society," he told the BBC.

(PR/BMcC)