John Denham (one of the Government’s most thoughtful and interesting Ministers) made a speech today in which he suggested that social class, community and identity is more important than ethnicity when it comes to disadvantage.
In many ways British society has improved considerably in recent years. Any prejudice or discrimination against people on the basis of ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation is, quite rightly no longer considered at all acceptable. As far as I’m concerned that makes the country a considerably better place. To give credit where credit is due, some of the equality legislation introduced by this Government, including Civil Partnerships and the abolition of the abhorrent Section 28, have helped make the country a better place.
Denham is right when he points out that social class can be an important pointer towards disadvantage. The shocking thing is that he does not seem to exhibit any shame that the Labour Party’s once ‘core vote’ are the people who have been most badly let down by his Government.
After thirteen years of ‘Labour’ Government, the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer. Social mobility has gone backwards. The accident of birth is more of an indicator of life chances than at any time since the war. At the same time, elements of the white working class are disengaged from the political process and some are turning towards far right parties.
That is a shocking situation after 13 years of Labour Government. A Labour Government that seems to have forgotten the Party’s roots.
What is also shocking is that Denham doesn’t really seem to have any ideas to turn the situation around. Whilst admitting the failure of a Labour Government to achieve greater equality, Denham doesn’t seem to have any idea about what to do about it.
Many of the progressive Conservative policies, particularly in health, schools, skills, universities and welfare are designed to actively help the poorest in society. That can not be said about this Government’s policy agenda.
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