13th July 1999
SPEECH BY THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, Gordon Brown AT THE LAUNCH OF THE COMMISSION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY'S LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE REVIEW
Let me say first of all that I am delighted to be here.
At this reception to mark the second year of leadership challenge, and the publication of the first review of its work, and to be able thank the commission for racial equality and Sir Herman Ousley and his staff not just for their organisation of this event but their work day in, day out, week in, week out to replace the evil of racial intolerance in our society by tolerance and respect for all.
And it is a mark of the importance the whole community attaches to the work of the commission that so many distinguished leaders of British industry and Britain are not only here with us this evening but have committed themselves personally to this leadership challenge.
To them, to the national leaders from business John Egan, from Financial Services, Peter Ellwood from the Public Sector, Roy Taylor and Diane Warwick, who have spoken so eloquently about how change can start and be led from the top, and to all of you here who every day, every week, take action to combat racial discrimination, I want to thank you for the service you give, the example you show, the leadership you bring and the contribution you make.
I am here tonight to highlight the economic as well as social benefits of tackling racism and how we can do more sector by sector, region by region, profession by profession, to achieve our objectives. I am here tonight because i passionately believe in a Britain which is multinational, multiracial and multicultural, a Britain which is not bland, uniform or monochrome but a Britain which is rich in colour, celebrates its diversity and indeed gains strength and unity from that diversity.
The Britain I believe in is a Britain where the British values of tolerance, fair play, openness and internationalism can become so powerful and pervasive that we can over time banish discrimination, cast aside prejudice, remove bias and outlaw racial hatred.
Indeed I believe in a United Kingdom which is no longer - as it sometimes has been - united in name only, a United Kingdom where everyone, whatever their birth, whatever their background, whatever their colour or creed, has opportunity and everyone has a contribution to make. A United Kingdom where we judge people not by the colour of their skin, or the detail of their origins, or the extent of their material possessions but by the extent of their compassion, the depth of their concern, and the breadth of their humanity.
And I am delighted to be speaking about these matters here in London:
- one of the worlds great multiracial and cosmopolitan cities which can take pride in the fact that more than a quarter of our population are from ethnic minorities,
- that 200 languages are spoken in a city where most speaking them think of ourselves as british,
- a city which has been for centuries, long before the united states was described as a melting pot, a welcoming home to immigrants and often to refugees. With a proud record of withstanding - as we did during racial bombings earlier this year -intolerance, the tolerance of the many triumphing over the intolerance of the few.
Yet we are here this evening because today this Britain has:
- not one Black high court judge
- not one Black chief constable
- not one Black permanent secretary
- not one Black army officer above the rank of colonel
- not one Asian either
- and only nine Black and Asian MPs
- out of 659
And in this Britain ethnic minority unemployment is more than twice the level of total unemployment, black african unemployment three times the level of total unemployment - and child poverty scandalously high, 250 per cent more in the Bangladeshi community than in the white community.
This is not Britain at its best. So we know that we are here tonight not just from sentiment, not as a token gesture, not here to congratulate ourselves for a job well done. But because we fully acknowledge that there is still prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, hurdles that have to be overcome.
That is the leadership challenge.
It is the leadership challenge that all of you here have signed up to.
The examples of careful, systematic, and above all effective action initiated and led by you and reported in today's review show us that with determination we will succeed. To give only a few examples of innovative projects:
- at Littlewoods' the dignity at work policy,
- at Mars diversity awareness workshops,
- at the London Stock Exchange its cultural and linguistic diversity given full recognition in literature publications and communications,
- from the Bank of England help in encouraging and financing ethnic minority businesses,
- in the Inland Revenue an ethnic minority conference followed by the launch of a departmental race equality group and six performance indicators to measure progress.
- initiatives by BA, BAA, BE, BT, BG, Asda, Lloyds TSB, Nat West, Barclays, and many, many more.
Companies taking initiatives from advertising in ethnic minority press and working with local community organisations to sponsoring development programmes in recruitment, retention and promotion.
As the first review of progress makes clear, we have travelled far in these two years of leadership challenge but, as the Stephen Lawrence case showed beyond all doubt, we have still a long way to go. We must learn the lessons on institutional racism as the macpherson report warned us. It is not enough to move slowly and gradually, we must quicken the pace.
Judge Mcpherson described institutional racism as "processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and stereotyping."
And cre testing exercises have shown time and again that when an ethnic minority and white applicant approach a potential employer, often the white applicant, irrespective of qualifications or talent, is given preferential treatment.
So prejudice can not only be overt and blatant but unwitting and thoughtless, but nevertheless ingrained and damaging.
I want to suggest tonight that championing an end to discrimination is not only morally right - and it is - but it is also economically right, it is good for business - at one and the same time good ethics and good economics.
Every day businesses are recognising the truth about the new educated economy of the information age - that we do well only if we are able to get the best people and bring out the best in people.
The understanding that no organisation should disadvantage itself by arbitrarily limiting its available pool of talent, or justify refusing a job on grounds of background or race, refusing to consider the best recruits.
The understanding that no economy should put its future at risk by failing to tap all its potential.
Indeed that no economy can succeed in the long term if we do not extend opportunity not just to a few but to all.
So instead of as in the past developing only some of the potential of some of our people we should determine to develop all of the potential of all our people.
It used to be said that what's good for general motors is good for America.
It should be said of our economy what's good for equality of opportunity is good for Britain.
And thus we simply cannot win as a nation while we are held back by racism.
We have started with the new deal for young people, already giving in little more than one year a total of 40,000 black, asian and other ethnic young people who have been unemployed the chance of skills for work under our new deal. Now we must help them work their way up with fair policies for recruitment, retention and career progression. We brought them into the new deal, we want you to bring them into your company, your organisation, your business and give them the chance to earn their living.
So I want to see racial equality on the agenda of every boardroom in this country, not only because it is morally right but because it is good for business and good for Britain.
Too often we have talked and yet when it came to action we have been in Churchill's words "resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity and all powerful for impotence."
The leadership challenge shows what companies and organisations can and need to do; the targets that need to be set in recruitment, retention and in promotion and career progression; and how this can be extended sector by sector, region by region, profession by profession. And this process - clearly nothing more than good business practice - needs to become the ordinary way of doing business, led by the most senior managers. This won't happen by itself - you as leaders need to make it happen.
And it is right also that whitehall should take a lead and set the highest standards as sir Richard Wilson and the permanent secretaries in the civil service are now doing. This year following the Lawrence enquiry Jack Straw has extended the race relations act to the police and all public bodies and has set new targets for civil service recruitment, retention and career progression; and in the treasury, inland revenue and customs and excise we have begun to make some progress and there is much more I pledge tonight we will do.
For all of us who want a Britain where there is not prejudice but tolerance, not discrimination but co-operation, not intolerance but compassion and concern for others, we should remember that we can all as leaders make a difference.
Let me end by quoting the late robert kennedy who showed how small steps starting with a few of us can bring big change that can eventually benefit all:
"it is from the numberless acts of courage that human history is shaped. Each time someone stands up for an idea or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice he sends a tiny ripple of hope and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring these ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Ripples of hope that build a current which can sweep away discrimination.
Here in Britain on the verge of the 21st century that is our hope, which is also now our promise, and it can with your help be our achievement.