A new book on London’s East End blames multiculturalism, and especially the sharing of welfare benefits with ‘newcomer’ Bengalis, for white working-class racism. Let’s face it, the Left just doesn’t know what to do about working-class racism. From that doyen of working-class history, E.P. Thompson, who praised the bloody-mindedness of the English jury that acquitted
Geography: London
Man dies during police operation
The Somali community in the Woolwich area is in deep shock after the death of a 22-year-old Somali, Nuur Saeed, after an ‘operation’ by Woolwich police. The police say that on 10 January Nuur was in a house at which they executed a search warrant in Plumstead. ‘At 5pm Mr Saeed was found to be
London becomes BNP heartland
New research has found that support for the British National Party is higher in London than any other part of the UK, with 23 per cent of Londoners saying they would consider voting for the far-Right party. Speaking at the launch of The Far Right in London: a challenge for local democracy?, Professor Helen Margetts
Worries over DNA and racial profiling
Black men are four times more likely than White men to be on the national DNA database and there is growing concern about racial profiling in criminal investigations. The police national DNA database (NDNAD), launched in 1995, now contains almost three million profiles. The prospect of everyone providing a DNA profile for the database is
Turkish-speaking communities in Britain: a rude awakening
A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation examines some of the major issues affecting young people from one of Britain’s long established, yet little heeded, ‘invisible’ minorities. Here, a community worker reflects on some of those issues and the need to air them in a wider debate. ‘I’d rather be a P*ki than a
Police launch investigation into Black man’s death at Belmarsh
IRR News has learnt that a young Black man has died in suspicious circumstances at Belmarsh maximum-security prison in south-east London. A police investigation is currently underway into the death of 25-year-old Godfrey Moyo, a Zimbabwean. The Home Office told IRR News that Godfrey, who was on remand, was pronounced dead at 5:40am on 3
New Danish government will link development aid to asylum
Next week, the Danish parliament will reconvene and prime minister Rasmussen will announce the composition of Denmark’s next coalition government. But whatever shape the new government takes, the results of the February general election has implications for refugees, not only in Denmark but across the EU. Since 2001, Denmark has been governed by a coalition
Citizens’ enquiry into service provision at Lunar House
Earlier this week, South London Citizens, an alliance of trade union branches, faith communities, schools and student groups from six south London boroughs, launched its own ‘citizens enquiry’ into service provision at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate offices at Lunar House in Croydon. The enquiry is to take oral and written evidence and will consider
Roma: the forgotten victims
Over sixty people gathered outside the Houses of Parliament today to protest against the continued ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Roma people across Europe and the British government’s policies against Roma and Travellers in this country. The event was organised to coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Many of the protestors wore the
Collective Black voice or ‘comfort zone’ for ministers?
A personal view of the third conference on the education of Black children, held recently in London. Nearly 1,000 people filled the halls of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre to participate in the third conference on the achievement of Black pupils in London schools on 11 September 2004. The conference was dubbed ‘reaching for