THE RACIAL tensions that sparked the Bradford riots 10 years ago still exist, a former race equality chair has warned.
“The dangers of last time are there. Not just in Bradford but other parts of Yorkshire and the country as well,” warned Lord Herman Ouseley, the former chairman of the now defunct Commission for Racial Equality.
Amidst concerns about rising unemployment, the re-emergence of marches by racist groups such as the English Defence League and segregation that still happens in several communities and schools, Ouseley, who led the 2001 Bradford race relations review, said told The Yorkshire Post: “There should have been a much more robust response to the issues that had been outlined for the area. The publicity was focused very much on the disturbances and the court sentences. It was almost a diversion away from what are the causes. It was almost as if the cavalry arrived after the battle had been fought.”
He said: “These problems have been addressed only peripherally.
“All sorts of programmes were created by the government to tackle issues of violence and segregation. There is still a lot of simmering tension. There is a lot of lip service paid over what has not been done. There are deep social issues that I don’t think have been properly addressed. I don’t think enough of the positive things have been done.”
Local community campaigners claim that real progress has been made in Bradford over the past decade, highlighted shown by the growth in regeneration and community cohesion programmes.
However, many have claimed that Government cuts meant community cohesion programmes and initiatives to promote integration in the city are under threat.