Poorest regions in the UK are poorer than anywhere in Northern Europe

To download the full pdf, click here

Explaining the data

This data was produced by Eurostat, the data agency of the European Union. They measured GDP per head in regions across the EU, taking into account the different prices in different regions. The full data is available from http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/1-27022014-AP/EN/1-27022014-AP-EN.PDF. We have classed the countries listed above as ‘Northern Europe’ because they are our nearest geographical neighbours and are commonly considered to have similar levels of prosperity as the UK (unlike countries in Southern Europe or the former Soviet Bloc). As members of the EU, Eurostat provides comparable data for each of these countries.

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Anti-Racism in Social Work Practice: New book now out

Anti-Racism in Social Work Practice is a new book which I have have had the privilege of contributing a chapter to (on 'Critical Race Theory and exploring 'whiteness'). The book was published in April 2013 by Critical Publishing  edited by Angie Bartoli. All the contributors are either based in the Social Work Division at the University of Northampton or have historically been linked to it (as I was when I was the Equality and Diversity Advisor at the university for seven years until 2012).

The publishers describe the books in the following way:

Anti-racism has a long history within the profession of social work and its education. Despite an agenda within higher education which promotes internationalization and practice which recognises diversity, little has been written to address the question of why black African students have a different experience from others on their social work educational journey.  

This book is based upon the authors’ experience as educators and their own research about and with black students’ experience of racism and ‘otherness’ within social work practice and education. Radical and honest in nature, it re-visits anti-racism within social work practice and education from a student focused and informed perspective based on lived experience and conversations. 

This book will be of interest to all social work students, educators and policy makers with an interest in anti-racism and diversity. It includes practical models and tried and tested tools to help the reader work through these issues.

The chapter headings in the book and the authors of each chapter are as follows:

Introduction. Angie Bartoli

1. Backlash blues: racialisation and citizenship. Bernadette Curran

2. Anti-racist social work education. Sukhwinder Singh

3. Developing Cultural Competence. Prospera Tedam

4. Padare: a meeting around a tree. Angie Bartoli

5. White women listening. Sue Kennedy

6. Critical Race Theory and exploring 'whiteness'. Paul Crofts

7. View from the workplace: practitioners speak out. Charity Chukwuemeka

Conclusion: a forward looking journey. Angie Bartoli and Prospera Tedum

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The Crisis of Capitalism Explained - simply and to the point!

Great cartoon explanation of the current crisis of capitalism by David Harvey. A must see!




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Conservatives accused of stoking the fires of hatred and xenophobia against Migrant Workers

In a Conservative Party leaflet, issued during a recent bye-election in Rushden, Northamptonshire, the claim was made that, of the 52,000 new homes to be build in North Northamptonshire over the next few years, “up to a third is estimated to be for migrant workers from Eastern Europe”. This figure has also been widely canvassed by the Conservative Member of Parliament for Wellingborough, Peter Bone.

The claim is without any factual or evidential basis and is disputed by both a senior council officer in a north Northamptonshire Council and by the North Northamptonshire Development Company.

In confidential e-mails to me from these two independent sources they clearly state “… some are making false assumptions”, “I have not heard of this before… there are certainly no targets or estimates regarding the occupiers of affordable or indeed market homes…NNDC is not aware of and does not believe there is any substance to (this)”.

A possible explanation for the 30% figure is that there has been deliberate or unwitting confusion with the 30% target for affordable housing, which will go overwhelmingly to local people. However, one of the sources also indicted that this could be either a misunderstanding or “someone has been mischievous”.

Whatever the explanation for this utterly false, bogus and untrue “30% migrant worker” figure, its reproduction by the Conservative Party in an election leaflet, and canvassed widely by a Conservative MP, will no doubt have the effect of further stoking up hostility to migrant workers, in a context in which they are already being vilified, attacked and misrepresented. This is a deliberate “playing” of an anti-migrant worker “card” to gain votes, plays on people’s fears and prejudices and is presented as an argument against new housing developments in the area (there may be legitimate arguments against development, some of which I share, but this should not be one of them). This 30% figure is now becoming widely accepted locally, despite it being totally untrue and without any evidence whatsoever to substantiate it.

In such a context I would expect the Conservative Party to act more responsibly and resist the temptation of inflaming hostility and racism against European Union migrant workers, especially as there are millions of UK residents also living and working in the EU who could also come under similar threat and vilification in the future, especially in the context of growing economic insecurity across Europe.

I know there will also be many Conservatives who will also be dismayed by this anti-migrant worker stance their party is taking – particularly those with family members, friends or work colleagues whose origins are from Europe. Migrant workers from the EU, and other immigrants to the UK, have a long and distinguished history of contributing to our economy and society and there are many who have leading positions in, or who are members of, all political parties – including the Conservative Party.

David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, has made it clear on many occasions that racism is completely unacceptable[1] and we should not tolerate racism in any walk of life or society[2].

I call upon David Cameron and the Conservative Party to investigate these cases of misleading and inaccurate anti-migrant worker statements and take action to eliminate racism from the Conservative Party.


[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYw5ccRSoZo
[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6431005.stm