The Elephant In The Room

Afternoon,

There has been much back-slapping and self-congratulatory comment from various Labour Ministers in the past week, regarding the notion that ethnic minorities are not as prejudiced against now, as compared to 10 years ago.  All very good, I would say – however what cannot be said is that the government has done much in regards of getting rid of the discrimination that still exists – probably more so than it did 10 years back – Class.

To say that a person’s race affects their opportunities in society less than factors such as class and gender is now, I think, to state the obvious. In a way it is also a welcome development because it shows our society has become much more progressive on race issues: though it’s still a problem that how much a child’s parents earn still matters.

In many parts of the country, but particularly down here in the South, educational attainment and health outcomes are still shaped strongly by socio-economic status and social class.  The elephant in the room is something that up till now, this government has failed in its responsibility to work towards a classless society.  That disadvantage can be a greater handicap than the prejudice that is experienced by some people from minority ethnic groups.

One of the most fundamental questions that surrounds this issue however is this.

Why is it only now that this Labour Government has decided to start talking about the White Working Class, when it has had almost 13 years to work towards the classless society that those of us on the Left yearn for?

The answer has to be Political expediency.

Labour has so far attempted to force social mobility upon the country with headline grabbing stunts such as compelling Oxbridge to take candidates with lower grades. What possible benefit can be gained from such a policy other than the further dilution of university degrees and sub-standard graduates who will ultimately fail in the world of work? Surely the best way to create a more open society is to look lower down the failing education system.

The bottom line is that if you are white – and working-class  – Britain is not necessarily such a pleasant land. Whereas ethnic minorities, especially those who have arrived relatively recently, tend to have high aspirations, stable homes and make great sacrifices to ensure the best education for their children, the same culture does not pervade white working-class families. Their children, particularly the boys, have for many years been out-performed at school by virtually every other social group, and the decline in heavy industrial jobs that once offered a livelihood to young men with no qualifications has compounded their disadvantages. 

But the current Labour leadership just don’t get it.  Most of them are now privately educated, do not come from a trades union background, have little or no connection with working-class people and are increasingly connected to other areas of business, industry and commerce, including the legal profession, and have become professional politicians without any experience of business, industry and commerce.  Hence why yesterday, we saw Chairman Brown desperately seeking the support of the middle-classes – they would rather those nice mummies and daddies vote for them than the underclass who truly needs the government support in the current economic climate.  But that would be too difficult for Brown to do...

It is impossible not to take a cynical view of Mr Denham's somewhat belated recognition of the parlous position of the white working classes. These are the traditional supporters of Labour's heartland, the "core vote" that Gordon Brown is desperate to retain, who feel badly let down by the Government and are turning to the BNP. 

It will rank as one of the greatest stains on his premiership that such extremists were able to gain an electoral foothold in our country – for in the end, that is the true legacy of Labour's years in power.