Critics have slammed the Labour Government for 'funding schemes that exclude people because of their race' in what has been described as 'two-tier Britain'. Employment schemes offered by several local authorities in the UK are reportedly only open to ethnic minorities, sparking accusations of racial discrimination.
Exclusive Support Programmes
Support programmes designed to help minority groups find work are shutting out white people, according to reports. This includes business and support schemes offered exclusively to local black and minority entrepreneurs by Labour-run North Lanarkshire Council, as well as 'targeted employment support for ethnic minority groups' provided by the Labour and Green-run Sheffield authority as part of its pathways to work programme.
Funding Sources
The £34,000 scheme is operated by local charities but part-funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 'Economic Inactivity Trailblazer' and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's (MHCLG) £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund. These funds are generally directed towards 'levelling up' projects. Government grants have also gone towards funding 'culturally appropriate employability support', including CV workshops in Andy Burnham's Greater Manchester authority.
William Yarwood, campaigns director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said taxpayer money 'should not be funding schemes that exclude people because of their race'. He told The Telegraph: 'Race-based eligibility smacks of identity politics and a two-tier system, which undermines public confidence.'
Legal Context and Justification
The DWP has previously funded schemes specifically for non-white jobseekers, including the 'Moving on Up Initiative' for black men based in London. The schemes, which are legal under equalities law, are designed to tackle the 8.8% unemployment rate among ethnic minorities, compared to 4.3% among white people.
Responses from Authorities
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said its programme 'ran alongside other funded projects supporting female entrepreneurs and the local social enterprise network', which are open to people across different ethnicities. They added: '[We] promote an inclusive and open approach to participation in [our] business support programmes and initiatives.'
A representative for the Greater Manchester combined authority also said it has 'many employment and skills programmes' which 'support people from a wide range of backgrounds', adding that 'nobody who is eligible is excluded on the grounds of ethnicity'.
A DWP spokesperson stated: 'Every penny of taxpayer money we spend on employment support is focused on one thing – getting people back to work and growing the economy. Local authorities know their communities and sometimes decide to offer local programmes targeted at groups with above average levels of unemployment, alongside their wider support which must be available to all.'
They added: 'We are transforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Britain, available to all – regardless of their ethnicity or barriers to work – alongside our £3.5 billion investment in employment support for sick or disabled people and £2.5 billion for the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation.'
