Keir Starmer should use this month’s party conference for a ‘state of the nation’ address that sets out how his government will respond to this summer’s riots and rebuild community cohesion, a group of leading experts have said in a new publication.
The paper, ‘After the riots,’ published by British Future, Belong and the Together Coalition, sets out a 12-point plan of policy proposals to address what it calls a “vacuum on communities policy”.
Their calls were echoed by former Communities Minister John Denham, the Bishop of Bradford and Professor Ted Cantle, author of the report into the 2001 race riots, who said “It is very disappointing that, after 23 years since my report and several others in between, we still do not have either a cohesion or integration strategy.”
Trying to move on from the violent disorder without addressing its causes or putting in place the foundations to address them, the publication says, could “risk recurring episodes of the kind of disturbances we have seen, and increased polarisation and social conflict in future.”
Instead, “Central government needs to provide leadership and a policy strategy, empowering local stakeholders to take action,” the authors say – which will require a national social cohesion strategy with funding to implement it, supporting and empowering local strategies from councils.
Greater efforts should be made to increase social contact between people from different backgrounds in communities, with schools and colleges required to increase contact between students from different ethnic, faith and class backgrounds. The power of sport should also be used to bring communities together, with local football and rugby league clubs highlighted as having the potential to increase levels of social contact across divides and develop shared local identities. The UK’s hosting of Euro 2028 in four years’ time could form the centrepiece for this work, they say.
The authors recommend the piloting of restorative justice programmes, bringing those convicted after the riots together with mosques and community organisations, to help break down stereotypes. They also call for more pressure to be put on social media companies to tackle hate speech and mis/disinformation, with schools also helping children to identify misinformation when they see it online.
Sunder Katwala, co-author of the paper and Director of British Future, said:
“There’s been a vacuum on communities policy for too long and this summer we saw what that can lead to. Starmer’s initial response to the riots was strong, but he shouldn’t leave the job half done – now he needs to make clear what we will do together to stop them happening again. The PM should use party conference to set out his vision for the Britain we want to be, where communities live together well – and a plan to make that a reality.”
Brendan Cox of the Together Coalition, co-author of the paper, said:
“After every riot there are a few days of panic followed by many months of reviews and then a return to business as usual. That can’t happen this time. The attacks were too serious and the underlying drivers are likely to grow not diminish. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister mustn’t let other pressures divert them from dealing with what happened and ensuring they have a plan to prevent it from ever happening again.”
Jamie Scudamore, CEO of Belong and co-author of the paper, said:
“The solutions to the challenges seen this summer are known by communities, but none of them are quick fixes. We need a national strategy that empowers local leaders with the tools and resources for action, with local authorities playing a vital leadership role.”
Government should also act to ensure that asylum accommodation does not become a focus for community grievances, the new paper says. This should include requiring private accommodation contractors to inform local councils in advance before placing asylum seekers in their area; increasing local consultation and engagement; and using ‘welcoming hubs’ to increase positive contact between asylum seekers and local people, for example through local conversation clubs to improve people’s English.
The authors will discuss the key themes of the paper at events at Labour and Conservative party conferences, followed by a London conference on community cohesion and integration on 20 November.
The new intervention was welcomed a range of voices with expertise and experience in community cohesion and integration.
Professor Ted Cantle, who wrote the seminal ‘Community Cohesion’ report responding to the 2001 riots in northern mill towns, said:
“It is very disappointing that, after 23 years since my report and several others in between, we still do not have either a cohesion or integration strategy. The irony is that the cost of this work is really quite modest, where the cost of inaction is so much greater. These proposals would put us back on track and we must not miss another opportunity to bring the country together and defeat the extremists.”
Professor John Denham, former Labour Communities Secretary, said:
“UK governments progressively abandoned support for multi-culturalism about 20 years ago, leaving the country with no clear or consistent policy to make an increasingly diverse and rapidly changing country work successfully. A new strategy for social cohesion that can foster shared and inclusive English and British identities is long overdue. The practical steps set out here are a very good start.”
Akeela Ahmed MBE, who co-chaired the Cross-Government Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred, said:
“I welcome this policy paper on cohesion priorities, with its focus on both immediate and long-term strategies to address the root causes of the riots that took place in the UK this summer.
“This is a good first step to prompt the government into action, with a clear set of robust recommendations which can be easily picked up. It is crucial that the country comes together to prioritise building trust, promoting social cohesion, addressing all forms of racism including anti-Muslim hatred, and holding social media companies accountable, to ensure that the most pressing underlying issues are addressed.”
The Rt Revd Dr Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford, said:
“This astute analysis of the recent riots makes a compelling case for sustained action from government for a funded cohesion strategy both at a national and a local level. There is much good, creative and tested practice that can be drawn on, but the trauma inflicted on individuals and communities and the risk of further unrest makes the development of such a strategy an urgent priority.”
Leeds Imam Qari Asim, Chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, said:
“People in my community were terrified by the violence and hatred seen on our streets this summer.
“The swift response to protect those targeted and punish those involved in causing violence and disorder was welcome. But we can’t be complacent and hope it doesn’t happen again. This summer should be a wake-up call to government and other stakeholders to be more proactive on community cohesion.
“There are many of us working on the ground to build connection and trust between communities. But we need more support, coordination and resources from national and local government.”
Download the ‘After the riots’ paper here
Image: StreetMic LiveStream, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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