EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Black & Asian News UK Edition!
If you are in the educational sector or have children, you will find the government’s controversial “Political Impartiality in Schools” guidance below. As you may know, teachers’ unions find the guidance confusing. For instance, it draws a distinction between subject areas which may be part of teaching and support for groups such as Black Lives Matter. Incidentally, it is reported that the BLM Swansea group had to dissolve over alleged harassment by far-right activists.
The NHS Race and Health Observatory has also published a review into ethnic health inequalities across a vast range of areas. You may also find interesting the report “Under New Management” by the Resolution Foundation which says that restricting freedom of movement will drive change in the labour market but will not have a big impact on the UK’s economy in terms of wages.
You will receive the latest issue of the Black & Asian News European Edition soon.
Have a nice weekend!
Thushari Perera
To receive this newsletter by e-mail just go to BLACK EUROPE RESOURCES and sign up!
Please scroll down and just click on the title to access the full version of the resource you wish to read, thank you.
UK NEWS
EDUCATION
Schools in England given guidance to avoid biased teaching, BBC News, 17 February 2022
“The promotion of partisan political views in class is unlawful under the 1996 Education Act. This means that where teachers present controversial political views in a lesson, they must offer a balanced overview of opposing views. The Political Impartiality in Schools guidance, published by the Department for Education on Thursday, asks schools to think carefully when planning lessons and choosing class materials. It draws a distinction between subject areas which may be part of teaching, such as racism or colonialism, and promoting support for campaigning groups, such as Black Lives Matter.” Read the guidance here.
School governors in England to be offered anti-racism training, The Guardian, 25 January 2022
“Move to change recruitment culture comes amid concerns about lack of racial diversity among headteachers.”
CULTURE, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
Stratford Herald to benefit from £6m community reporter scheme, Stratford Herald, 15 February 2022
“The 14 new publishers, and the 18 communities they will serve, include the Scottish west coast island of Bute, seven deprived parts of Brighton and Hove, Stowmarket, Lower Annandale, Eskdale and the borders, Tottenham, African community in Peckham and Latin American community in Elephant and Castle, south London, and Welsh language communities in Aberystwyth.”
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
New Review Calls for Radical Action on Stark Ethnic Inequalities Across Healthcare, NHS Race and Health Observatory, 14 February 2022
“The Observatory has today published its much anticipated rapid review into ethnic health inequalities across a vast range of areas including key priorities set by the independent health body. The university-led review explores differences in reference to access, experiences of, and outcomes in the following areas: mental healthcare, maternal and neonatal healthcare, digital access to healthcare, genetic testing and genomic medicine, the NHS workforce. Ethnic inequalities were found across each area studied. Whilst there were differences between ethnic minority groups, some communities were found to have particularly poor access, experiences and outcomes.”
Ethnic minority NHS workers suffer ‘shocking’ racism and unfair treatment, Personnel Today, 15 February 2022
“A damning report has highlighted the extent of inequality and discrimination faced by ethnic minority staff in the NHS, who are less likely to be shortlisted for jobs or promotions and more likely than their white counterparts to suffer abuse and harassment.”
CONSUMER ISSUES
Interest Rate Hikes Are Class War, Tribune, 7 February 2022
“Today’s right-wingers are hoping to solve the inflation crisis like they did in the 1970s: through hiking interest rates and suppressing wages. That’s how economists wage class war.”
FOOD
‘My life is not my own. I eat, breathe and sleep this’: the single mother who has fed 100,000 neighbours, The Guardian, 16 February 2022
“In despair at problems in her area, mother-of-four Michelle Dornelly set up a food hub for hungry Londoners – many of them refused by food banks. But the unpaid, full-time work takes a heavy toll.”
EMPLOYMENT & WORK
Breaking down the barriers to social mobility, ICAEW, 14 February 2022
“Accounting firms have an image problem when it comes to socioeconomic diversity and inclusion, says Basannavar. While efforts and improvements have been made to bring in people from diverse backgrounds, accounting partnerships are still predominantly white, male and middle class.”
GOVERNMENT, MIGRATION & COMMUNITIES
Migration data shows Johnson’s Brexit will not result in a high wage economy, Yahoo News, 17 February 2022
“The analysis from the Resolution Foundation says the restricting freedom of movement will drive change in the labour market but will not have a big impact on the UK’s economy in terms of wages.” Read the Report here.
Britain scraps ‘golden’ visas amid concerns over illicit Russian money, Reuters, 17 February 2022
“Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s interior minister, Priti Patel, said on Thursday that she had closed the Tier 1 visa system which offered a route to residency for those investing at least 2 million pounds ($2.72 million).”
Professor who suggested non-white Britons not ‘indigenous’ to advise Gove on levelling-up plan, The Independent, 13 February 2022
“The development economist at Oxford University also argued, at a seminar, that people born in this country should count as indigenous only if they have integrated into British society.”
LGBT+ ethnic minorities being left behind by society, report finds, The Independent, 16 February 2022
“The study, led jointly by researchers from King’s College London and University College London, is the UK’s first major piece of research to analyse the experiences of people living in the intersection of these minority identities.”
BLM: Swansea group dissolves over alleged harassment, The National Wales, 14 February 2022
“The Swansea branch of Black Lives Matter has said it will dissolve for “the physical and mental safety” of its members. In a social media post this evening, the BLM group implied that it will no longer campaign, alleging that far-right activists had turned up at the homes of its members.”
Two-thirds of UK asylum seekers on small boats had hypothermia or injuries, The Guardian, 13 February 2022
“Exclusive: hundreds of people arrived for processing in Dover with burns and suspected broken bones.”
Chagos islanders in emotional, historic trip home, BBC News, 12 February 2022
“A boat sent by the government of Mauritius has arrived in the disputed Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, after the country accused the occupying British authorities of “crimes against humanity”. The United Nations’ highest court has ruled that Britain’s occupation of the islands is illegal, but Britain has refused to hand control to Mauritius.“
JUSTICE SYSTEM & POLICING
Met police’s use of traumatic and degrading strip-searches is on the rise, The Canary, 18 February 2022
“A freedom of information (FoI) request on the Metropolitan Police’s use of strip-searches has revealed that Black people remain over represented in the force’s use of the humiliating and degrading practice. A concerning number of children are also represented in the data.”
Modern slavery in Oxford may be 200 per cent higher than the level reported to the police, Oxford Mail, 15 February 2022
“As this ground-breaking new research by Elmore Community Services shows, slavery may be happening in far greater numbers than we thought. Indeed, previous figures may just have been the tip of the iceberg. Modern slavery has many faces, and they can all be seen in this report commissioned by Oxford City Council.”
Dido Harding and Mike Coupe to senior posts, High Court rules, Left Foot Forward, 15 February 2022
“Arguments made by race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust and Good Law Project that the recruitment process adopted by the prime minister and the secretary of state, ignored the need to eliminate discrimination against the country’s disabled and ethnic minority communities, and to ensure they have equality of opportunity were accepted by the court. Reacting to the judgement, the Runnymede Trust said in a statement that it ‘moved to join this Judicial Review at the peak of the pandemic when disabled, Black and minority ethnic citizens were dying disproportionately from Covid’.”
‘Fashioned For Caucasian Hair’: Barrister Calls For Uk Courts To Ban Wigs, The Independent, 11 February 2022
“Thomas’ comments come after another black barrister at Garden Court Chambers, Michael Etienne, said he had asked the Bar Council what the repercussions would be if he declined to wear a wig over his afro. “The answer included: ‘contempt of court’, ‘wasted costs’ and various potential breaches of Code of Conduct.”
FAITH & RELIGION
Christians in Britain and Ireland mark Racial Justice Sunday, Vatican News, 13 February 2022
“As British and Irish Christians mark Racial Justice Sunday to respond to racism and inequality in Church and society, the Catholic Church focuses this year’s observance on the theme “In the Image and Likeness of God”, celebrating presentations of the Holy Family from different countries and cultures.”
TECH
Twitter expands its crackdown on trolling and hate, BBC News, 16 February 2022
“Twitter is to expand its Safety Mode feature, which lets users temporarily block accounts that send harmful or abusive tweets. The system will flag accounts using hateful remarks, or those bombarding people with uninvited comments, and block them for seven days… In January, a French court ruled that Twitter must show exactly how it combats online attacks, while the UK is preparing legislation to force all social media sites to act swiftly on hate speech or face fines.”
SPORT
Champion boxer keeping kids off the streets says council plans to youth services could ’cause havoc’, Notts TV, 15 February 2022
“Jawaid Khaliq, who grew up in The Meadows, became the first British Asian boxing world champion in 2000 when he won the IBO welterweight title. Since retiring, he has been running boxing classes in St Ann’s and The Meadows, working with up to 40 young people a day. Mr Khaliq is fighting Nottingham City Council’s plans to reduce youth provision across the city as part of a £28m cuts plan this year.”
‘Isolated and alone’: boy, 12, racially abused at football match in London, The Guardian, 17 February 2022
“Family of Asian heritage criticise local FA for lack of support and say opposition team yet to say sorry.”
Skiing outsiders make their mark as arrival of real snow causes setbacks, The Guardian, 13 February 2022
“Skiers from Haiti, Jamaica and Saudi Arabia raced in the giant slalom, one of many events disrupted by blizzard conditions.”
A brief history of African nations at the Olympic Winter Games, The Conversation, 8 February 2022
“The lack of climate for winter sports such as bobsleigh, skiing and snowboarding limits the level of participation in winter sports. However, globalisation and the relatively limited access to tertiary institutions in Africa have brought young African athletes in contact with many forms of winter sport while studying or working abroad, predominantly in the northern hemisphere.”
* * *
Explore Blackeuroperesources.com / About & Contact / Follow on Twitter@Blackeresources / Black & Asian News UK Edition / Black & Asian News European Edition / Black & Asian Heritage Mix’ / T&C & Privacy Policy / Donors
* * *
Black Europe Resources 