RACE AND CULTURE: Whites need not apply

The ideology of multiculturalism is theoretically meant to build a more tolerant, inclusive Britain. But in practice it is a deeply racist concept, one that judges people by their ethnic origin and thereby promotes division in our society. The very basis of multiculturalism is a contradiction of the democratic principle that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of their background or skin colour. Through its obsession with racial identity, this pernicious creed actually encourages discrimination.

The first anti-racism campaigners in Britain fought for equality, demanding government action to combat overt racial prejudice in employment and the provision of public services, especially housing. But since the early 1980s the agenda of anti-racism has changed. The goal is no longer equality but the very opposite: the institutional recognition of racial separation.

Two decades ago multiculturalism was the preserve of the extreme Left in local government and Ken Livingstone’s Greater London Council. Everything from the recruitment of staff to the award of grants was driven by ethnic considerations. Tragically, what was once on the municipal fringe is now part of the political mainstream. In the name of celebrating diversity, we now have a civic culture that has elevated racial difference into a system of governance. Right across the British state, institutions are driven by a concern to address the competing demands of different ethnic groups. And in the process any ideas of fair treatment and equal access have been lost.

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In the publicly funded arts, for instance, ethnicity is now a key factor in the making of grants. Almost 10 per cent of bodies subsidised by the Arts Council describe themselves as black or ethnic minority organisations. ‘British culture is not a single entity; we should rightly speak of British cultures,’ says the Arts Council.