Inclusive Britain: Forged in denial, the government’s action plan on race has failed before it’s begun

The document sets out ministers’ 70-point plan to tackle racial disparities, as Nadine White explains

(AFP via Getty Images)

The government’s new action plan on race has been launched — but its scope for improving the lives of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities is woefully limited because it is based on the premise that institutional racism doesn’t exist in Britain.

Dubbed ‘Inclusive Britain’, the 97-page document sets out ministers’ 70-point plan to tackle racial disparities based on recommendations set out in the widely-discredited race report produced by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED).

Some of the points in the plan sound pleasing to the ear, such as addressing hair discrimination in schools and a cash injection for school pupils who have fallen behind during the pandemic. But many of the proposals lack substance, detail and urgency.