How the left gets it wrong about Britain and racism

In this guest post, Rakib Ehsan argues that the UK is the greatest place on Earth for members of racial, ethnic and religious minorities. PLUS watch Rakib in conversation with Austin Williams.

In a bid to reconnect with traditional Labour voters, Sir Keir Starmer has talked about a ‘progressive patriotism’ – but what should it look like?

In my new book, Beyond Grievance, I unapologetically offer the view that the UK is the greatest place on Earth to live as a member of a racial, ethnic and religious minority. The passage of race relations legislation in the 1960s facilitated stronger economic, social and political integration outcomes among minorities. Race and religious belief are both protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act.

While post-Brexit Britain is all too often grossly caricatured as a racist hellscape, it outranks major EU member-states such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy when it comes to providing anti-discrimination protections on the grounds of race, ethnicity and religion. The UK is a European leader when it comes to race relations and economic fairness for its ethno-racial minorities.

Meanwhile, the widespread rioting, looting and destruction of private property shows that not all is well in France. The British multicultural-integrationist model is not perfect – but the rigid secular universalism of the French Republic has alienated many of its socially conservative minorities. A puritanical commitment to so-called ‘colour-blind egalitarianism’ has bred a mainstream cultural reluctance to acknowledge very real forms of racial and religious discrimination – from the labour market to policing. The secular-republican framework for managing diversity in France is unsustainable – and does little to cultivate a national sense of belonging in non-white Muslim communities across the banlieues of Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

To put this in perspective, three in four British Muslims believe that Britain is a good place to live for their co-religionists. It is no surprise that a new British Future study found that 80 per cent of ethnic-minority Britons believe that Britain is a better place to live as a minority than France, as well as Germany and the United States.

A ‘progressive patriotism’ in the UK should not draw inspiration from American racial-identity politics, nor the uncompromising secular universalism of the Fifth French Republic. US-style affirmative action is not welcome in the UK – British ethnic minorities expect fairness, not favours. Many of our black communities – especially those of African origin – do not need such a paternalistic ‘leg up’. Indeed, many are comfortably outperforming their white-British peers at school.

Equality of opportunity is the order of the day – not the equalisation of outcomes. There is also no place for militant French-style secularism in British life – our patriotic ethnic minorities have the right to take pride in their cultural heritage and should have the freedom of religious expression (as long it does not cause direct harm to others). A healthy co-existence of national, ethnic and religious identities is to be appreciated. To suggest it is ‘zero-sum’ plays into the hands of divisive identitarians on both the Left and Right.

While this may be controversial for some, a truly British progressive patriotism would recognise that the royal family is a genuine force for good when it comes to social cohesion in modern Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth II – an extraordinary public servant who remained loyal to her traditional values but embraced significant forms of domestic and international change – was a steadfast friend of Britain’s minorities for decades. King Charles III intends to build on the legacy left by his mother, referring to Britain as ‘a community of communities’ and himself as ‘the defender of all faiths’. A traditional figurehead that resides above conventional politics and embraces diversity in such a wholesome way is a national asset – one that both America and France lacks. Many of Britain’s ‘progressive liberals’ should recognise that one of its leading cultural allies sits in Buckingham Palace.

For all its flaws, Britain is arguably the most successful example of a multi-racial democracy in the world. That should be a great source of national pride.

It is time for the British Left to champion the significant progress the UK has made in terms of racial equality and present an optimistic vision for multi-ethnic life in modern Britain.

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Watch the Bookshop Barnie with Rakib Ehsan and Austin Williams

This Bookshop Barnie with Rakib Ehsan explores why ‘racial grievance’ has become such an industry and asks whether we can celebrate diversity while championing universalism? How can we build solidarity and not constantly treat ethnic minorities as victims?

The Bookshop Barnies are a reinvention of the book launch format where authors don’t get an easy ride. No sycophancy allowed. These salon type discussions challenge the author to justify their work in front of an invited audience of specialists and critics.

Found out more here.

Dr Rakib Ehsan’s new book Beyond Grievance: What the Left Gets Wrong about Ethnic Minorities is available to buy on Amazon.