Author:
Publication: BBC News
Date: December 11, 2001
Reports into the summer riots in
Bradford, Oldham and Burnley have urged government action to bring together
Britain's "shockingly" divided communities.
The main Cantle report, commissioned
by the Home Office, said people in Britain were leading "parallel" and
"polarised" lives where people from different backgrounds did not mix.
It called for a meaningful concept
of citizenship which could include an oath of allegiance setting out "a
clear primary loyalty to this nation".
Home Office minister John Denham,
who chaired a cross-departmental group that examined the impact of the
riots, said: "We have not made a commitment to a formal oath of allegiance,
but we do want the debate to take place."
The report also urged an "open,
honest" debate about multi-culturalism in Britain.
A review of the Oldham riots blamed
deep-rooted segregation which authorities had failed to address for generations.
It warned: "Segregation, albeit
self-segregation, is an unacceptable basis for a harmonious community and
it will lead to more serious problems if it is not tackled."
No quick fix
A third report, on the Burnley riots,
called for local and government action to tackle the deprivation and "disillusionment"
of young people which has led to "violence and prejudice".
A previous report into Bradford's
troubles by Lord Ouseley had also painted a picture of a fractured city
with mistrust between different communities.
The Cantle report, which warned
there would be no quick fixes, made 67 recommendations covering areas such
as housing, political leadership, education, youth and leisure facilities
and regeneration.
It specifically called for a change
in the way regeneration schemes are managed, as they force groups to "compete
against each other" and lead to resentment.
It warned of the dangers of the
government's policy of encouraging single-faith schools, which might deepen
the divisions.
'Diverse community'
Home Secretary David Blunkett, who
was speaking about race relations in Birmingham on Tuesday, welcomed the
reports and called for a debate on citizenship.
"Today's reports show that too many
of our towns and cities lack any sense of civic identity or shared values.
"Young people, in particular, are
alienated and disengaged from much of the society around them, including
the leadership of their communities."
But Mr Blunkett defended the government's
policy of encouraging more faith schools.
He said if some religions could
have faith schools, it was unfair not to allow other communities their
desire to follow suit.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman
also welcomed the reports, saying they had "started a debate which we as
a country need to have".
More research
He said it was important to "recognise
and celebrate diversity at the same time as developing the bonds that any
community needs."
In response to the Cantle Report,
a separate study by Home Office minister John Denham set out steps taken,
and ideas for steps to be taken, by the government to tackle the problems.
It said cross-governmental work
on the myriad aspects of community cohesion, which had been established
in the last few months, should continue.
It said it would press the local
authorities concerned to publish their own plans for cohesion by April
2002.
And it suggested establishing a
research programme to give a fuller understanding of segregation in the
UK.
'Controversial debate'
Mr Denham said it was crucial to
identify "shared values and common citizenship" to help bind Britain's
diverse ethnic communities.
"These issues are intrinsically
difficult and controversial but we must grapple with and debate them if
we are to make progress," he said.
He added: "We have not made a commitment
to a formal oath of allegiance, but we do want the debate to take place."
The summer's disturbances were some
of the worst seen in the UK, with the Bradford violence alone causing damage
estimated at £10m, and injuring 300 police officers.
