LDCRE statement on the Sewell Report

You will have all seen the deeply disturbing Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report (the Sewell report) released.

LDCRE calls out the Government's new race report as being deeply concerning in areas and ignorant of the reality of Britain today.

It is not time to continually review whether or not racism exists at all - but to take action to address it immediately, across all areas of society.

LDCRE also challenges the notion that fighting racism is for ethnic minorities to "help themselves" against - it is a fight that is for everyone, and that the Government, organizations and institutions all should have a crucial role to lead in, rather than to pass the buck onto individual people. While it is crucial to have an intersectional approach to race equality, and to not broad-brush view different groups as the same, that does not mean the faults of racism lie within those groups. Any analysis suggesting that is deeply superficial.

The tone of the report highlights how out of step the Conservative government and their discourse on race equality is with reality - and highlights more than ever why we need to continue to campaign on Race Equality. It is also deeply saddening that some positive individual policy suggestions in the report, many of which are mirrored in existing Lib Dem policy, have been coloured by the overall report's out of touch and illiberal attitude to race.