A controversial report that concluded institutional racism does not occur in the UK failed to consider the “brutal evidence” of inequality highlighted by Covid-19, an anti-poverty charity has said.
Turn2Us said its research painted a different picture to the one described in the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities’ report.
The government-commissioned independent review into racism asserted that UK is no longer a country where systems are “deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities” and that very few inequalities are due to race.
Data compiled by Turn2Us indicates that ethnic minorities have suffered significantly greater economic hardship during the pandemic.
One in six people from Black Caribbean descent have had to borrow from friends or family since March 2020, compared to one in 11 (9.3 per cent) of white British people.
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People from minority groups were also more likely to have sold their belongings to get by.
One in eight people of Indian descent have done so since the pandemic began, compared to one in 13 white British people.
About 10 per cent of white British people reported going into their overdraft since March 2020 compared to 17.9 per cent of people of Black African descent.
One in six of people of Pakistani descent have had to miss bills since March 2020, compared to one in 14 white British people (7.3 per cent).
Thomas Lawson, chief executive at Turn2us, said the data demonstrated deep-rooted inequalities in society.
“You are more likely to experience financial hardship if you are black. You are more likely to have lost your job in the coronavirus pandemic if you are Bangladeshi.
“You are more likely to experience deep poverty if you are Pakistani. This is not a coincidence, this is clearly a long-term endemic structural and institutional problem.”
He added: “We urge the government to not dismiss the reality of institutional racism and instead look at the evidence and produce a strategy to create meaningful change.”
