A government-commissioned review has concluded that the UK is 'no longer a country where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities'. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, set up after last summer's Black Lives Matter protests, found that family structure and social class have a greater impact than race on life outcomes.
The report, chaired by education consultant Tony Sewell, notes that children from most ethnic minority groups perform as well or better than white pupils in compulsory education, with black Caribbean pupils being the only group to underperform. It also highlights a shrinking pay gap, now at 2.3% overall, and increased diversity in professions such as law and medicine.
However, the commission acknowledges that overt racism persists, particularly online, and that some communities remain 'haunted' by historic racism, creating deep mistrust. The report states that the UK is not yet a 'post-racial country', but its progress in reducing race-based disparities should serve as a model for other nations.
The findings have drawn sharp criticism from race equality groups. The Runnymede Trust said it felt 'deeply, massively let down', while Professor Kehinde Andrews of Birmingham City University dismissed the report as 'complete nonsense' and a 'PR move to pretend the problem doesn't exist'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government would consider the recommendations.
