Is Trevor Phillips the right person for leading on equalities? From the Government’s point of view it appears yes regardless what those o9n the receiving end of discrimination might feel. He’s just the right person if his masters say “jump” he will say “how high?” So he keeps the job.
Questions are now being asked about Phillip’s competence after the resignation of a number of Commissioners. Trenchant comment from Diane Abbott asking about the matter of delivering to the black community only serves to underline the criticism. Does this Government want to deliver becomes the question. The answer seems to be that it is interested in control to ensure that the status quo remains. After all most of those suspected of terrorism today are from the black community – it seems in their view. You’d think Harriet Harman might know better, but then there has been little evidence of that.

Phillip’s comments on “multiculturalism” drew sharp intakes of breath and disbelief, but this chimed in with the Government agenda and it’s stupid notion of “Britishness”. Liam Byrne knows what that is. Fish and chips and cups of tea. How else do you define it? Not being black perhaps? That seems to be the message anyway, and it’s always good to have a black person saying it for you. Remember how the U.S. preferred Booker T. Washington to W.E.B. Du Bois? Washington advocated vocational training for black people in the days of emancipation. Du Bois was more ambitious and advocated that a “talented tenth” was trained for leadership. Obviously the U.S has come a long way since then with Obama in office remembering that one swallow doesn’t make a summer. By that yardstick Britain’s journey has far to go wit h the destination remaining out of sight for this administration. Not that any other established party looks different. Oh dear.