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‘Cunning, Unprincipled, Loathsome’: The Racist Tail Wags the Welfare Dog

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2007

GARY CRAIG
GARY CRAIG*
Affiliation:
Professor of Social Justice, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX email: g.craig@hull.ac.uk
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Abstract

Britain's stance towards ethnic minorities has been janus-faced: developing an increasingly repressive and restrictive stance towards immigration, and – supported by a strident media – portraying minorities and migrants as undermining British culture and values, ‘sponging’ on the welfare state. Immigrants have been characterised as ‘cunning’, ‘loathsome’, ‘unprincipled’ and likely to ‘swamp’ British culture. Domestic policies of successive governments apparently balanced this stance with ‘community’-based initiatives, from race relations policies, community relations policies to present community cohesion policies. These have not fundamentally addressed the racism inherent in immigration policy and practice. The consequence is that the welfare of Britain's minorities – measured by outcomes in every branch of welfare provision – has largely been disregarded by the British state. Despite some liberal initiatives aimed at improving the lot of Britain's minorities, the racism inherent in policy and practice persists.

Type
Article
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 36 , Issue 4 , October 2007 , pp. 605 - 623
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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