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Writer and broadcaster Trevor Phillips said efforts made under the Blair government turned anti-racism into an 'ugly new doctrine'. Mr Phillips is the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and has waged a 30-year campaign to tackle issues around discrimination and equality. In an upcoming Channel 4 documentary, called Things We Won't Say About Race That Are True, he says attempts to stop prejudice instead encouraged abuse and endangered lives...
He explains: 'It was my job to to make sure that different racial and religious groups got on...Campaigners like me seriously believed that if we could prevent people expressing prejudiced ideas then eventually they would stop thinking them. But now I'm convinced we were utterly wrong.'
Mr Phillips, a Labour party member, says anti-racism began with good intentions but turned into 'thought control'. He says the London 2005 bombing by British Muslims, forced him to do rethink his views. Now, he insists that only a willingness to talk more openly about race, despite risk of causing offence, will help those in need.
He explains: 'It was my job to to make sure that different racial and religious groups got on...Campaigners like me seriously believed that if we could prevent people expressing prejudiced ideas then eventually they would stop thinking them. But now I'm convinced we were utterly wrong.'
Mr Phillips, a Labour party member, says anti-racism began with good intentions but turned into 'thought control'. He says the London 2005 bombing by British Muslims, forced him to do rethink his views. Now, he insists that only a willingness to talk more openly about race, despite risk of causing offence, will help those in need.
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