Civil servants told Britain is 'racist' as white staff urged to not oppose ethnic minorities

29 July 2022, 16:30

Civil servants have been told that Britain is a "racist" country and that they should not oppose ethnic minorities.

A training video from the department of levelling up said white staff should be aware of their "privilege" and instead be "allies" of ethnic minorities, The Telegraph reports.

It urged allies to act as "cheerleaders" by standing up for ethnic minorities and "shifting the spotlight on to a person of colour".

The video on "allyship" was uploaded in 2019, when the department was known as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

It has since caused concerns, with one government source telling the paper that civil servants were being "brainwashed".

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The video says: "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.

"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 five them time to heal and recover from a fight they've been have for their entire lives, often for generations."

It continues saying: “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."

A Government source told the Telegraph: "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."

According to the Mail, a spokesman from the levelling up department said: "This video is nearly three years old and helps staff have important conversations about race.

"We keep all our material under review."