On 'At a turning point? The state of race relations in Kingston upon Hull' a report by Prof G Craig, 26 July 05 (1/4)

(1/4), (2/4), (3/4), (4/4).

'What do you think about the state of race relations in Hull? Your chance to express your views. Professor Gary Craig has been commissioned to conduct an enquiry into the state of race relations in Hull'.

Prof Craig issued this invitation through the local press and radio and Hull City Council departments and other networks in July 2004, to several hundred key organisations in the city. Responses came chiefly from the public sector bodies that had commissioned the enquiry: Hull City Council departments, Humberside Police, and other public services on the city council's Race Equality Group - and from a handful of voluntary bodies and individuals (says his appendix 3). The absence of any responses from ethnic minority organizations apart from one, ARKH, was due he thinks to consultation fatigue (p.34).

There were no responses from the private sector or the city's political leadership (pp.29,5). Individuals from only 4 of the city's 100 schools gave views; school governing bodies, governor and parent forums, teacher and head teacher unions were not asked.

Nor were Hull Royal Infirmary's many staff associations and patient groups, or Hull UNISON, RCN or BMA branches, or health visitors or Macmillan nurses or the ambulance service. Nor was the invitation sent to all departments, staff and students at the University. But enough about those who didn't respond. What about those who did? Their opinions, in the form of complaints ranging from those that anyone regardless of race might have, like difficulty finding an NHS dentist (p.16), graffiti and son chased by gangs, to verbal abuse and serious assault, are listed on pages 10-11.

The rest of the report is filled with anonymous gossip and myths , casual conversations, things said by colleagues or by other people overheard, allegations and impressions (pp.12,29) in sum, it's all hearsay and anecdote.

Prof Craig makes it clear that this is not a report with statistics or factual data, referring the reader interested in such things to websites. He mentions other reports on racism but without giving their titles, authors or dates of publication. There are 4 mentions of the Steven Lawrence enquiry with no other details. He even has quotes on p.6, presumably from a book, without giving the source. He wants this to be a report reflecting what he calls people's perceptions (p.1), feelings and opinions, including his own.

Two sorts of individual apparently got in touch with him: several BME respondents with 20 years of Hull residence and racism (p.7); and prejudiced indigenous respondents (p.26) whose racist myths he troubles to repeat. We are repeatedly told that these latter resent foreigners, asylum-seekers and refugees, believing they have high incomes, no jobs, mobile phones. One respondent said he had undertaken a straw poll of a large number of residents in his neighbourhood as part of his evidence [to this enquiry]; he found that 85% of those consulted were both hostile to asylum seekers and thought that all their claims were 'bogus' .(p.12).

Continued ....Next page (2/4),

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