Civil servants are being taught that Britain is a “racist” country and that white officials should never contradict people from ethnic minorities. The Telegraph has more.
A training video for civil servants at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which is in charge of race relations, said white civil servants should be aware of their “privilege”.
It urges white people to become “allies” of ethnic minorities by standing up for them, telling officials: “When we become an ally, this primarily means acknowledging that we, ourselves, are part of a society, norm, culture or a system that is racist.”
And it said white allies should be a “supporter”, meaning they “listen and do not contradict” ethnic minority people.
The existence of the video has caused consternation in some parts of Whitehall, with one Government source saying civil servants were being “brainwashed” to believe “divisive nonsense”.
The source said: “The civil service is running a parallel policy to the Government on diversity and inclusion in the name of social justice.
“The term white privilege has no place in Government. This divisive nonsense is designed to brainwash thousands of civil servants with an ideological agenda.”
The video on “allyship” is designed to teach civil servants about “what it means to be a race ally”.
It was uploaded on to the department’s website in 2019, when it was known as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
It said: “For many of us who are white or white passing, meaning that we are often identified as white in public spaces, the colour of our skin, our race or ethnicity has not had a negative impact on our lives. We call this ‘white privilege’.
“You may experience many other struggles and challenges through life, but they are very unlikely to be related to your race. Because of this, adding your voice to anti-racism can help to amplify your message, support your colleagues, and give them time to heal and recover from a fight they’ve been having for their entire lives, often for generations.”
It goes on: “You are an ally if you believe that people who are from an ethnic minority face discrimination and can be socially and economically disadvantaged at work. And that ethnic minority colleagues should enjoy full equality.
“In the workplace, 70 per cent of ethnic minority workers say they have experienced racial harassment in the last five years. This can be challenged when colleagues, managers and clients visibly support a more inclusive workplace.
“White allies can provide a louder and sometimes more impactful voice than those in other communities. They are more likely to be believed when discussing these issues, enabling them to effectively increase awareness of racism among colleagues who might not ordinarily engage.
“Becoming a great ally means that we spend some time learning and unlearning some of our own behaviours. When we become an ally, this primarily means acknowledging that we, ourselves, are part of a society, norm, culture or a system that is racist.”
The training urges allies to act as “cheerleaders” by “shifting the spotlight on to a person of colour”.
“When talking about issues that concern them, try to defer to them, supporting them to field relevant questions,” it says.
They should act as an “amplifier” by “amplifying ethnic minority voices that ordinarily go unnoticed”.
“When a person of colour’s ideas are being overlooked, call it out or repeat it,” it says. “Credit the person and share it to those in positions of influence or power.”
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