UK cities 'becoming racially segregated'

Report commissioned in the wake of Lawrence inquiry

British cities are becoming segregated into poor, ethnic minority neighbourhoods and prosperous, white middle-class suburbs, according to a study.

The Birmingham Stephen Lawrence Commission looked at how organisations in the city should respond to Sir William Macpherson's report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

The commission - a group that includes a judge, a bishop, a university academic and a head teacher - found that institutions and their leaders are failing to tackle racism and racial inequality.

Its report warns that this is potentially disastrous for Birmingham.

We must not perpetuate the problem of black ethnic minority youngsters unable to get work because of their colour

Ray Singh
Report author

It says it will lead to a split city, which will be mirrored around the country, where ethnic minorities are socially excluded and geographically segregated in deprived inner-city neighbourhoods like Handsworth.

One of report's authors, Ray Singh of the Commission for Racial Equality said it was "an alarm call" to all UK cities with large ethnic minority communities.

In Birmingham ethnic minority communities lived in a "doughnut" surrounded by white middle-classes in the very city centre and outer suburbs.

He said the segregation was not caused by white racists moving out but by the high unemployment and consequent poverty of ethnic minorities who could not afford to live in affluent areas.

Ghettos

"We're not getting to the stage you read about of the ghettos in America," he said.

"But we must not perpetuate the problem of black ethnic minority youngsters unable to get work because of their colour."

Birmingham City Council, which commissioned the 15-month study, has responded by promising to produce an action plan within three months.

Chief executive Sir Michael Lyons said: "It is certainly not news that deprivation, poverty, unemployment is particularly intensive in the black and ethnic minority communities."

'Commitment'

The council had tried to tackle racism in the city, he said, "but we haven't done enough".

"It's a sign of our commitment that we commissioned the report in the first place."

The report was commissioned in the wake of the Macpherson inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

No one has ever been convicted of the teenager's killing in Eltham, south east London, in 1993.

A report of the inquiry's findings, published in February 1999, strongly criticised the police investigation and found racism played its part.

It labelled London's police force "institutionally racist" and condemned officers for committing "fundamental errors".