The IRR publishes today two responses to the report ‘Fear and HOPE: the new politics of identity’ by Searchlight Educational Trust (prominently fronted by David Miliband, MP in the Guardian on 28 February). The report drew heavily on an opinion poll. IRR researcher, Jon Burnett, exposes the methodological weaknesses in such an approach. IRR director,
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Fallacies and policies: the ‘Fear and HOPE’ report
The director of the IRR takes issue with fundamental positions on racism and nationalism in Searchlight Educational Trust’s recent report. We don’t have classes in ‘modern British society’. We have ‘tribes’. ‘Identity tribes’. Reflecting ‘a new politics of identity, culture and nation’, itself a product of ‘the politics of race and immigration’, and today ‘the
Searchlight: polling the ‘new politics of identity’
Can the claims of a new politics of identity, made by Searchlight Educational Trust, be substantiated by an opinion poll? On 28 February 2011, the Searchlight Educational Trust published Fear and HOPE, a report claiming to outline a ‘new politics of identity’ in England.[1] This document detailed the findings of an opinion poll conducted by
Germany: Campaign to overturn headscarf bans launched
The Berlin organisation ReachOut has launched a campaign to rescind the 2003 Law on Neutrality that opened the way for the German states (Länder) to ban the headscarf. Over half of Germany’s sixteen states now ban students and civil servants (including teachers) from wearing the headscarf. The authority to do so comes from the 2003
Death of Smiley Culture galvanises community
A week after Smiley Culture died following a police raid at his home on 15 March 2011 hundreds of people gathered in Brixton for a meeting organised by the family of the reggae artist. Smiley Culture (aka David Emmanuel) died from a stab wound following a dawn raid on his home in Warlingham, Surrey by
Residence rights removal overturned
The Court of Appeal has upheld the right of a Tunisian refugee to appeal in the UK against cancellation of his residence rights. We have become used to dodgy manoeuvres on the part of the Home Office and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in their war on asylum seekers, terror suspects and other ‘undesirables’. Campaigns
Gypsy and Traveller concerns raised in parliament
A group of academics, lawyers and campaigners has produced a report on the coalition government’s policy on Gypsies, Roma and Travellers. The report, A Big or Divided Society is based on hearings which took place earlier this year in parliament where Gypsies, Travellers, service providers, legal and academic experts gave evidence on the implications of
A Mighty victory for FNPs
Two foreign national prisoners (FNPs), Kadian Mighty and Walumba Lumba, have won a significant victory for the rule of law in the Supreme Court. It has been a long struggle. Both men, ‘foreign national prisoners’, came to the end of prison sentences between March and June 2006 – and became embroiled in the fall-out from
Does Barnardo’s legitimise child detention?
The children’s charity’s decision to work with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in its planned short-term family detention facility has caused alarm among campaigners. On 9 March, Barnardo’s announced that it had agreed with the UKBA to provide staff at the proposed new immigration holding centre for up to nine families at Pease Pottage, Crawley
The secret world of immigration bail hearings uncovered
A new report by the Campaign to Close Campsfield on immigration bail hearings is a thorough piece of research but makes for very depressing reading. The report, Immigration bail hearings: a travesty of justice? Observations from the public gallery, was written and researched by the Bail Observation project of the Campaign to Close Campsfield, a