Race report: 'UK is a model for other white-majority countries' says government report

The commission was set up following the Black Lives Matter protests which took place across the country last summer

A new report on race suggests the UK "should be regarded as a model for other white-majority countries".

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which is a group put together by Boris Johnson's government, was set up to look into racial inequalities in the UK following the Black Lives Matter protests which took place across the country last summer after the death of George Floyd.

The commission, led by chairman Tony Sewell, who used to be a teacher, was tasked with reviewing how factors including poverty, education, employment and health impact different ethnic groups living in Britain. It's produced a report summing up its findings.

Many voices have suggested they are not happy with the report's findings. Labour leader Kier Starmer, leader of the second biggest party in Westminster, said he was disappointed at the report's "reluctance to accept that the issues are structural".

What are the key takeaways?

The commission examined how related factors including ethnicity, socio-economic background, geography and culture affect the opportunities available to different groups living in the UK.

It concluded that social class and family structure have a more significant impact on people's lives than a person's race. It said that while some of the inequalities it looked into could be linked to racial discrimination, there are other key factors which may determine the success of people from ethnic minority communities.

The commission also said that while "overt and outright racism persists in the UK", systemic racism - which is all about how the structure of a society can disadvantage certain ethnic groups - isn't currently an issue in Britain.

A foreword to the report written by chairman Tony Sewell said: "We no longer see a Britain where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities."

Some of the other key findings from the report were:

• Children from ethnic communities did as well or better than white pupils in compulsory education, with black Caribbean pupils the only group to perform less well

• This success in education has "transformed British society over the last 50 years into one offering far greater opportunities for all"

• The pay gap between all ethnic minorities and the white majority population had reduced to 2.3% overall and was barely significant for employees under 30

• Diversity has increased in top professions such as law and medicine

• There is is some "deep mistrust" of the government among ethnic minority people which could be a barrier to success

These finding suggest the report believes many of the things - such as school exam results, the amount adults are paid and the diversity of workers in certain industries - that might indicate a systemic problem don't show that, and instead show that the UK is doing well at giving giving people equal opportunities.

A number of key recommendations are set out in the report which aim to:

• to build trust between different communities and the institutions that serve them

• to promote greater fairness to improve opportunities and outcomes for individuals and communities

• to create agency so individuals can take greater control of the decisions that impact their lives

• to achieve genuine inclusivity to ensure all groups feel a part of UK society

How have people responded to the report?

Some people feel the conclusions drawn in the report do not accurately reflect society in the UK today, particularly when it comes to its denial of systemic or institutional racism.

Professor Kehinde Andrews who teaches Black Studies at Birmingham City University said the commission was not a "genuine effort to understand racism in Britain".

"It goes in the face of all the actual existing evidence," he said.

Dr Halima Begum, who heads up the race equality charity the Runnymede Trust, said she felt "deeply, massively let down" by the report, and said she believes that the government does not have the confidence of black and minority ethnic communities.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also criticised the reports findings. He acknowledged the progress the country has made, saying "one of things we celebrate in the UK is our diversity and it is what makes the UK". However, he also made it clear he was "disappointed" in the "reluctance to accept that the issues are structural".

"We now need to see is proper acknowledgement of the depth of that, the structural nature of that, but most of all to act on the very many recommendations we have had for many years, whether that's in the business community at board level, in criminal justice and the pandemic".