Woke Left pull the ladder of opportunity up - then blame racism JOHN HAYES MP. S. Express.
IT IS ironic that the quip "never let the facts get in the way of a good story" is often misattributed to the great American raconteur and storyteller Mark Twain. Regardless of its origin, the notion perfectly encapsulates the way events can be tainted by a preconceived view of the world. The contrived alarm surrounding the recent publication of the Sewell Commission's report on Race And Ethnic Disparities provides a disturbing example of the extent to which our nation's story is being distorted by the "woke" Left. Over 250 well-reasoned and methodically researched pages, the report examines the reasons for disparities between different ethnic groups in Britain, concluding that "geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion have more significant impact on life chances than the existence of racism". But such a conclusion is wholly unacceptable to those who have grown prosperous by denigrating our country and painting Britain as an intrinsically racist society.
Gauged by some media coverage, it would be easy to assume the report presents a rose-tinted view of modern Britain. This could not be further from the truth.
It provides much food for thought for those of us working to make Britain fairer. Significantly, it found no evidence to support the contention that British society is, consciously or unconsciously, rigged against ethnic minorities.
To those who built profitable careers on the idea that Britain is "institutionally racist", such a conclusion is unacceptable, making much of what they say worthless. So, nervous that their deceptions had been exposed, some critics and their cronies accused the authors of being "race traitors".
What the reaction to Sewell proves is that the "woke" Left has no real interest in improving the life chances of people from underprivileged backgrounds.
Significant factors identified by Sewell - such as geography - that account for disadvantage, transcend race. For example, in 2018 not a single student at a school in Thurrock, Essex, applied to study at Oxford or Cambridge and of the 15 who applied to any of the elite Russell Group universities, none were accepted.
These were the lowest figures for the whole of England, yet the population of Thurrock is predominately white.
If the Left was really interested in improving social mobility they would focus on improving educational attainment for all, as the Government is doing.
But in practice, "wokes" are more interested in indoctrination than in seeding opportunities or growing fairness.
The violent protests sparked by the "Kill The Bill" campaign similarly exposes the moral vacuity of woke warriors. The legislation that has so outraged the liberal Left is not only concerned with unlawful protests by militant groups such as Extinction Rebellion.
Most importantly, it will ensure that the sentences served in prison by criminals better reflect the severity of the crimes committed.
At present, jail terms are often drastically cut, with even the most ruthless criminals released early.
When the Home Secretary says she wants criminals to "feel terror" at the thought of committing offences, she reflects the heartfelt sentiments of those who live on the front line of crime - a reality in stark contrast to the lives of those soft-minded bourgeois liberals who use wealth to segregate and insulate themselves from the hard reality of the disorder they tolerate.
The responses of the Left to the Sewell Report and the "Kill The Bill" movement demonstrate the way their agenda is increasingly driven by the self-interest of a few rather than the needs of the many.
The woke protesters of Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion care nothing about the disruption their mass tantrums cause to people, for their motivating concern is a self-defined sense of victimhood.
Similarly, race relations professionals and "unconscious bias" trainers are threatened by evidence-based research that exposes them as useless and worthless.
More often than not, establishment guilt over race has benefited ethnic minorities who, in terms of factors such as geography and education, are already privileged. As part of the metropolitan elite they are detached from the great mass of British people.
Any attempt to broaden the debate about social disparity will be fought tooth and nail because it is ultimately in their interests to present Britain as inherently racist, so releasing them from any sense of obligation to the nation.
Consequently, the liberal Left can kick away the ladder of opportunity whilst simultaneously signalling their virtue.
