This comes from The Guardian this morning:
An “ugly” racism reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s has become worryingly commonplace again in modern Britain and NHS staff are bearing the brunt of it, Wes Streeting has warned.
Incidents of verbal and physical abuse based on people's skin colour now happen so often that it has become “socially acceptable to be racist”, the health secretary said.
For once, Streeting is right, and he is being appropriate in standing up to and naming racism. It is intolerable in the NHS, and I do wonder whether a radical policy response is now required to it.
I should add that racism will not be tolerated here.
I would add something in that context. I banned one person from commenting here yesterday for what I considered to be an English racist comment that suggested that English colonial rule in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remains acceptable because a case for the alternative had not been and making clear in that person's Engish view that we are better off as a single country without showing any sign that they did in any way appreciate the views of those who think otherwise in the other countries in question.
In my opinion, that is a racist comment, and it is unacceptable to me. It is old-style colonialism based on the logic of English exceptionalism of exactly the same style that delivered Empire and the subjugation of people to British rule in the past.
You can, of course, still make reasoned arguments for reform on this issue here, and you can seek bases for compromise, but only if you take into account the views of those who are now subjugated, in their opinions. If you comment and do not, please don't expect to comment again. It is as simple as that. I will. not tolerate racism, even of the subconscious kind, and I am seeing it all too often.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
There are links to this blog's glossary in the above post that explain technical terms used in it. Follow them for more explanations.
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
Buy me a coffee!
“wonder whether a radical policy response is now required to it”
Perhaps “naming & shaming” is sufficient?
Most gov’s over the past 40 years have been quick to legislate on “stuff” and then discovered that the legislation was crap
(e.g. walk out on the street with a bit of cardboard and two words on it – & – apparently – you are a “trrists”.
In GP surgeries those who racially abuse are not seen. It is as simple as that.
This needs to reach hospitals.
Mutterings from the next bed on the ward elicited this conversation:
Nurse: “Are you allergic to anything?”
Me, loudly: “Yes – racists and bigots.”
“Next bed” had the grace (or the shame) to shut up.
It shouldn’t be up to Streeting or the NHS staff alone to call out the racists. Everybody who has the opportunity should do so. There are more good but quiet people than those full of fear and anger.
Good work
Get well!
As a former nurse, the bigger problem is racism by management and other staff. Non white staff were often sidelined for promotion opportunities and not treated with the same respect. I worked for an amazing West Indian sister who taught me so much and I still know, but the way she was treated by the hospital management was appalling and could only be explained as being racist. I saw far more respect from patients than from the hospital management.
Interesting….
Not mentioned by Streeting
This reminds me of the colour bar accepted at the lower levels of the transport unions. One article at the time said “In 1953, Wolverhampton bus workers held an overtime ban, “as a protest against the increasing number of coloured workers employed”, demanding the employer impose a quota of only 52 black workers out of the nine hundred workers on the Wolverhampton buses.”
And in the rail unions there was this
“NUR representative Mr Geary assured the BBC interviewer that there was “no prejudice” against coloured men, explaining that instead, the issue was that coloured men worked too slowly, did not speak the lingo well, and were “apt to lose their temper and resort to tactics that the average white man would not resort to”. The interviewer concluded by asking, “Have you ever worked with a coloured man?”, to which the rep answered “No, I haven’t.””
Thank goodness we have moved on.
Trying to measure racism is an academic pursuit with consistent questions across countries and years. Things do seem to be getting better.
And Starmer’s feeble acquiescence to the shrill xenophobia of the fast radicalising Right is a disaster. Damage that will now take many more years to repair than otherwise.
I wonder if Streeting would acknowledge that it is politicians in his party and elsewhere responding to Farage that has helped this situation to emerge? Going back to Theresa May’s vans and the Windrush debacle. This has been brewing for ages.
This is politicians playing with the politics of envy to divide and conquer to avoid proper change that has caused this. It’s always been there, the thin veneer that is civilization has to be nurtured not exploited.
Play with matches long enough and there will be fire.
And the rich who fund this and think this all just tremendous fun, hide behind their gated communities and villas, flying in their helicopters and private jets not seeing the consequences. Such is democracy.
Over many years, my wife , who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease, was treated at home by Care Assistants, male and female, who came from either an African country, or the Asian sub-continent. I hope I treated them with the respect they deserved, for they came here, to Scotland, to help us, for without them I could not have coped. All very polite and well spoken, and probably in some cases vastly over qualified for the work they were doing. Working from 7am till 10pm probably for the minimum wage. Great people.
Thanks
“because a case for the alternative had not been”
Would a Federal System like the USA and its territories have work for the UK?
No
Is it working for the USA?
I detest any form of racism, particularly politicians who use racism to stir up trouble amongst racists. This is, in itself racism, and ought to be called out as such.
Sadly, it is on the increase thanks mainly to the Reform party/ company and those following in their wake. I do not believe it increases the electibility of these people because amongst the general public, racists comprise no more than 20% of the population in my opinion. It could be as low as 10% or as high as 30% in some areas. Just my estimates based on observations and looking at voting patterns.
Brexit was arguably partly driven by racism: it certainly had no rationale in economics.
Racism takes many forms : it can come from. religious bigotry, gender obsessions, skin colour, sexual orientations, cultural differences even historic hang ups.
I recently read an article declaring that the prevalent racism in vigor in the USA comes from the concept of ‘sin’ spread by Catholics Christians. The author felt that the concept of ‘sin’ is the root of racism in the USA.
I find these statements too black and white.
We should be aware that the word ‘racism’ encompasses many discriminatory behaviors. Their common ground is scapegoating and a sense of entitlement.
‘Asylum seekers’, ‘illegal migrants’ are now a universal accepted racist code for ‘nod and a wink’ brown or black or Muslim ‘others’ . Front bench Tories complaining about non white faces in advertisements, or ‘no white faces’ in parts of Birmingham, Starmer’s ‘ Island of Strangers’ etc etc.
But the BBC is making much of the running. A ten minute breathless headline piece on News at Ten on ‘BBC uncovers ‘ Kurdish minimarts , employing asylum seekers, on the day Reeves made her pre budget headline speech. And again today BBC headlining a single Algerian prisoner accidentally released. Anything that continues ReformUK’s narrative that all problems are down to migrants.
When will se see a breathless BBC ‘reveals’ the corruption of the VIP lane insider PPE contracts for Boris Johnsons mates? Or ‘BBC reveals’ the Zionist, fossil fuel, private healthcare, big builders, donating to Labour cabinet members – who have a clear conflict of interest as a result.
The answer is never. But do we just have to accept that the BBC is running with these barely disguised racist tropes?
,
Anti Muslim racism has been encouraged by the Conservatives, Labour and the main stream media. Racism against black, Asian or anyone not seen as white British is now normalised.
British politicians queue up to smear old and young alike for marching peacefully for Gaza but utter not a word against a far right march in London.