When the BBC announced earlier this year that they were broadcasting a special season of programmes on the issues facing white working class Britain, I was immediately sceptical.
From the start, the statements made by the season's commissioning editor Richard Klein and BBC 2 controller Roly Keating about putting the 'spotlight on a community' who felt 'their voices were not being heard', made me cringe.
It looked like the BBC were stoking controversy in order to appear 'bold', 'brave' and most importantly unafraid to upset the PC brigade. In my view, they have got this all wrong on many fronts.
Firstly, why focus on race as the defining issue that governs every waking thought of white, working class Brits?
Immigration is a talking point and issue that concerns many people today, but so too are issues such as crime, education, globalisation, the break down of the family unit and so on.
If you believe the picture of Britain painted by the BBC, the so called 'ordinary British family' is more concerned about Mr and Mrs Khan moving in next door than they are about whether the government are spending enough on hospitals or why the local playground is making way for a new block of flats.
It's inaccurate, misleading and needlessly provocative stuff.
Secondly, are white indigenous Brits more disenfranchised than anyone else in Britain right now?
Television is largely made up of white, middle-class males and anyone who doesn't fit into that club could have a strong case for arguing that TV does not adequately cater to them or accurately reflect the issues they face.
I doubt very much whether there is a 'Muslim season' or a 'Women's Season' in the pipeline.
Thirdly, why, oh why, did the BBC allow Nick Griffin to air his racist propaganda, largely unchallenged, on Newsnight? It was a highly crass move, particularly as it was part of a segment which was designed to promote the season.
The season was promoted with an insensitive advert and launched at a time when the corporation has come under fire for its poor record in employing people from ethnic minority groups.
The BBC set out to provoke controversy in order to look like they are not afraid to examine issues that other broadcasters would shy away from. But by bundling them into this imbalanced and poorly planned 'White season' they have only demonstrated once again that far from being the most cutting edge force in television the BBC remains as woefully out of touch with reality as ever.
Mr singh, I would respectfully suggest that outside the Metropolitan elite, you are out of touch with reality. I agree with your comments on Nick Griffin on Newsnight but as part of the said minority in question, there really has been no attempt at uncovering their attitudes and experiences. You have to look at the beast before you can tame it.
Posted by: Phillip | 13/03/2008 at 12:10 PM
The white working class are discriminated against and are falling behind. White working class boys are at the bottom of the educational league tables - way behind their Indian and Chinese counterparts and marginally below black boys. White women earned signficantly less than their black counterparts. And there has been a Muslim season (on several channels). White working class people receive none of the support (financial and otherwise) that their black and Asian counterparts receive. There isn't a white educational achievement fund; there is a BME one though. Equally, white working class people don't benefit from positive or affirmative action; but black people and Asian people do. The Commission for Racial Equality (now the Equality Commission) ignores discrimination against whites. And remarkably, white working class people are the largest group in the country. I think it is Mr Singh who remains out of touch with reality. He ignores the plight of the white working class and instead says the BBC have failed to employ ethnic minorities. White working class people cannot be blamed for voting for the BNP (odious though they are) - they are the only people that offer them anything. I suspect Mr Singh would not have a problem with a programme that highlighted discrimination against Sikhs; why then does he have a problem with discrimination against whites. This cannot be hidden any longer.
Posted by: Cameron | 13/03/2008 at 02:43 PM
Can we please stop lumping in women (Amar Singh's 'Women's Season' comment) with every discussion about minorities? Since when were women a minority? This really is depressingly out of touch.
Posted by: RD | 13/03/2008 at 03:19 PM
Why does seeking the opinion of WWC people on race issues make you 'cringe'?
"I doubt very much whether there is a 'Muslim season' or a 'Women's Season' in the pipeline."
But there's an entire Asian Network, and numerous other ethnic programmes. There are no exclusively white programmes whatsoever. Even 'Robin Hood' resembles a rural version of East Enders.
"If you believe the picture of Britain painted by the BBC, the so called 'ordinary British family' is more concerned about Mr and Mrs Khan moving in next door than they are about whether the government are spending enough on hospitals or why the local playground is making way for a new block of flats.
It's inaccurate, misleading and needlessly provocative stuff."
Says who? You? White communities were sufficently worried by mass post-war immigration to move out and see their communities fragmented and you don't think it should be discussed? There are plenty of documentariries made that cover race issues from an ethnic perspective. Why aren't those programmes just about hospitals and housing?
"Thirdly, why, oh why, did the BBC allow Nick Griffin to air his racist propaganda, largely unchallenged, on Newsnight?"
Why, oh why not? Why can't the people hear him for themselves and decide, instead of being told that someone else has heard his views so they don't have to? The other guests refused to be in the same room as him, so if you want to blame someone for not challenging Griffin blame them.
How irritating for you to be reminded that the WWC exist. And before you dismiss discussion the WWC as 'woefully out of touch' remember that they pay the bulk of the licence fee and it was them who built the country you're living in.
Posted by: Simon | 13/03/2008 at 04:10 PM
Perhaps I should clarify a few points.
I agree that the views of White Working Class Brits are underepresented in the media. But are they any more underepresented than the views of Somalians or Poles, for example?
And if the BBC feel they have failed to cater to WWC Brits it's only because they, like much of the media, have a poor record of employing people from poorer communities.
I also think that some of these documentaries were interesting, balanced and threw up some important points - my issue is over how the BBC bundled these six programmes together (five of which are based on race issues) and proclaimed it be a season representing the unheard voices of white working class Britain. A bit narrow in my opinion. I just refuse to accept that white, working class Brits are obsessed with race and immigration and think they care just as much, if not more, about other issues too.
I also happen to be of the opinion that Nick Griffin and the BNP should not be given the oxygen of publicity by the publicly-funded BBC. Most people already know what his views are.
Posted by: Amar Singh | 13/03/2008 at 06:09 PM
Why when every other ethnic/cultural group is allowed to speak their minds does everyone react with such shock and rage that the BBC are broadcasting a 'white season'? I am sick to death of the attitude "you can't say this and you can't say that" lest you be judged racist. Basically the white British public are losing patience with being treated as 2nd class citizens in their own country!
Posted by: Miss Scott | 13/03/2008 at 06:40 PM
I would like to point out to Mr Singh that the white working class have more right than Somalians and Poles to have their views heard.Comments like this reinforce the view that they are second class citizens in their own country.
Posted by: colin | 13/03/2008 at 07:18 PM
Lets look at some of your ideas:
// "Nick Griffin and the BNP should not be given the oxygen of publicity by the publicly-funded BBC"
Don't BNP members and supporters pay towards the BBC ? Are you really saying the BBC should pick and choose between legal political parties and just pretend that some do not exist ?
// "I doubt very much whether there is a 'Muslim season' or a 'Women's Season' in the pipeline."
Well there is an "Asian Network" full time. And it seems to be permanent muslim season across the BBC's output - for example "Muslim Women Go Fly Fishing" on Radio4, "Don't Panic Im Islamic" on BBC1, "Balaomory Visits The Mosque" on CBBC.
Then there was the weird story line where the white girl turned muslim and everything was happy ever after. The rumour is that this plot line was submitted as a spoof - a mickey-take of the BBC's fetishes. But they didn't see the joke and made the film anyway.
Posted by: Jack Hughes | 14/03/2008 at 12:13 AM
It looks like a lot of people are missing the point Amar Singh is trying to make. I think he quite obviously feels that there is more to white working class Britain than concerns about immigration and racism.
These programmes do not do justice to white working class people.
Where are the working class heroes or celebration of working class culture?
When my father came here in the seventies he worked in a factory with mainly white, working class people - most of them are still his friends to this day and do not have a racist bone in their body. The BBC didn't look for their views as they are obviosuly not deemed shocking enough.
Also to the suggestion that Black and Asian people get more support from the government - don't believe the hype. I have never received any hand out from the government and nor have my family who came here when they were penniless.
If you are unhappy with your lot in life the easiest scapegoat is the immigrant.
There may be an Asian Network but there is also a very popular programme dedicated to white working class British culture. It's called EastEnders.
Posted by: Abdul K | 14/03/2008 at 09:09 AM
The BBC's White season! What a joke as the BBC Should be filming within itself and taking a alook about who it hands out its jobs too!
A white middle class organistion that prides itself on its diversity record my foot - I wonder how many ethnics are working in the canteens and cleaning the floors and then I would also like to know how many ethnics are in position of power within the BBC - I would imagine the figures don't match up with the percentage of ethnic people that are employed doing mosty cleaning jobs!
The BBC's so called White season tarnishes working class white people as racists but there are many of us who don't want to be included alongside white people who are lazy, racist and don't fit into society but of course this wouldn't make good telly for the BBC - When can the BBC do a show on the racist middle class? White people who have a single black or Asian mate or who claim that they aren't racist because they had a curry the day before or that they went to last years Notting Hill Carnival - The real racists in this country are the middle classes who say that they are libral minded until an ethnic person moves next door to them and then the goal posts change - When I meet people who work at the BBC in management, I sometimes look at them and wonder if they are really in touch with society, they are the ones who are causing the friction with many communities by thrusting racism down our throats and always using the same old faces to talk about racist issues
Posted by: Pedro De Sousa | 14/03/2008 at 12:58 PM
"I doubt very much whether there is a 'Muslim season' or a 'Women's Season' in the pipeline."
Every day is muslim day on the BBC. Radio 4 recently had some kind of muslim article on every day for a week. Every day there is an article in the papers entitled 'muslim this' or 'Islam that'. It for sure is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. If Hindus, Sikhs, Brahmins, Janns etc each had the same air time afforded the muslims in this country there wouldn't be time for the news at the top of the hour, let alone owt else. But you are right to believe WWCB is not obsessed with race. WWCB appears obsessed with footie, cookery programmes and reality TV programmes; but doesn't this hold true for the majority of indiginous non-whites ?
Posted by: Colonel Mustard | 14/03/2008 at 01:59 PM
It is interesting that the most serious accusation that can be levelled in modern Britain is to say that someone or other is are out of touch. When this statement is boiled down it seems that generally the only in touch people are drug addicts, homeless, really poor and the really uneducated; and of course their sponsors who need them for their political platform.
Posted by: Mark Cleminson | 14/03/2008 at 04:31 PM
The BBC series is excellent, it a commment on how England is changing, it is not racist. As a foreigner in this country who has come back 3 times over the past 20 years to work here at different times, I cannot believe how this country has changed since 1985 when I first came here for 6 months. This is a white christian society, but sadly eventually it will not be. I get really frustrated when people thrust foreign values onto the English and I don't understand why the English don't stamp their authority on it. Sadly it is because they are fundamentally lazy. And there you have the crux of the problem, why foreign communities thrive and prosper and will eventually take over. Could not happen in Russia, China or Pakistan! The indigineous communities would not allow it.
Posted by: Johnny Kannis | 14/03/2008 at 04:34 PM
Think Abdul K, puts his finger on it - about the need for a celebration of white working class culture (which isn't represented by east enders) - England is going through an interesting crisis of identity - post colonial, celebration of multi-culturalism in urban centres - but there is a huge issue about the rest of english/british history and how to acknowledge it and celebrate the heritage without either ignoring or glorifying the colonial past and its consequences.
the facts and stats about the white working (or non working) class are shocking; and if a bit of debate helps address this the better - ignore it at our peril and send all those borderline disenfranchised people straight to the BNP. The reality is we live in a priveleged nation where people at least try to address issues of inequality - remember for a large proportion the planet - that's not an option! (or even writing on these blogs!)
Posted by: julianne | 14/03/2008 at 04:56 PM
This is a very arrogant article. How dare an immigrant talk about a lack of white faces on the BBC - I watch the BBC World programmes and there is hardly a white face to be seen on them. The BBC represents or should, a British population which is 90% white. Where ever Amar Singh came from or even whether he was born on British soil he had better believe that Griffin has every right to be on British programmes. His line of politics is seldom heard. In a population of 60 million Griffin probably gets about 500,000 votes. This old British civilization knows very well where to place Griffin in politics even if Amar Singh doesn't. The Brits have always worried about who lives next door to them, and believe you me, if Mr. and Mrs. Khan choose to make themselves out of the ordinary and bring customs and traditions that have nothing to do with the host country, then it will be no wonder that they will not be received with open arms. It is high time that immigrants recognized that no one knocked them out of their senses and dragged them into Britain. Abject respect is what immigrants should be showing for the homeland they have found that is so much better than the ones they left. It is immigrant insolence that causes the problems which Amar Singh is so ready to complain about. I did not like your article - you do not like my post. You write what you like and I write what I want to say. Yours gets aired and paid for - mine will not. So now you tell me exactly who is getting all the attention whining Mr. Singh.
Posted by: wozzit | 14/03/2008 at 06:00 PM
Amar Singh is right to say that working class people are not only white. On the other hand, 93.6 per cent of the UK population are white (Britain, 2000, ONS, p 115), so a greater proportion of the working class is likely to be white than not. Maybe we are too preoccupied with race?
Posted by: James Heartfield | 14/03/2008 at 06:44 PM
Television made up of white middle class males? Hardly! Middle class maybe, but the BBC is disproportionately ethnic-minority if you actually look at who presents most programmes v.s. the general population. Plus, many of the problems such as crime, housing and health issues are directly related to immigration. Most other BBC programmes bend over backwards for one minority group or the other so one week of programmes about white working class people is justified.
Posted by: Huw Morgan | 14/03/2008 at 08:12 PM
The forthright responses your article received shows me that British people are prepared to be more honest (about themselves and the communities they live in) when expressing themselves in the media. Which, in turn, means that outdated left-wing rhetoric will no longer be sufficient as a serious review of programmes such as these, nor as a way of engaging people in debate. And blaming the BBC is like shooting the messenger. And anyway, there are plenty of ethnic minority programmes, which I'm glad about because I'm from an ethnic minority myself. I'm against racism and against violence, but I do understand some of the issues that white people have about what's happening in the country. Change, though inevitable, is not always easy to accept. The multicultural nature of Britain today is the direct result of English involvement in countries all around the world - whether through old colonialism or modern capitalism. One new immigrant wave is eastern European in origin. I didn't see all the programmes so far, but I'd be interested in white people's views on this, especially those on the far right - do they prefer white immigrants or is it everyone they want to keep out? And where do they think the line should be drawn? Surely, in such an interconnected world, it's entirely natural that highly developed countries like Britain have diverse populations - much like any successful state at any time in history.
Posted by: Rahul Patel | 16/03/2008 at 07:12 AM
Having read some of these very angry replies to this article I must say that the beeb is indeed right to air this show. Reading comments from the likes of wozzit who wants 'respect' from immigrants and Huw who blames them for crime. I feel I should be astounded at the mistrust and lies as my experiece of the 'white' working class reflects non of these blinkered views. All the WWCs I know are hard working, proud and respectful of others. Is the beeb talking about another group, some sub culture I don't know about - Is this where Griffin finds his sheep? If so why not let the beeb educate them as to the reality of their lives. After all, if you are a white male you have a better chance of gaining employment, higher salary and better promotional prospects than any other group. Why are some white males left out of this lucrative loop along with other minorities. Should he set up his own small business to combat 'isms' (like other minorities) should he focus more on the super education of his kids (like middle class whites and some minorities) or should he throw his hands up resigned and blame others for his plight. The world has changed and someone's forgotten to tell some folk or they weren't listening. In a world where every positive image is white - success, beauty, money - why are some of these people not seeing themselves in these images?
Posted by: Frank Sharp | 16/03/2008 at 04:30 PM
"The world has changed and someone's forgotten to tell some folk or they weren't listening."
Yes, and so has this country been changed, without any democratic mandate what so ever. Its changed from the workshop of the world, to a under sanitized over populated multicultural slum. Enoch was right, and so are the BNP. Luckily people have started to wake up.
Posted by: Ian S | 17/03/2008 at 07:56 AM
Mr Singh; I feel that you are the one who is woefuly out of touch. Besides, as much as you seem to have been enjoying your attack on the BBC for its white season they have probably done just as good a job at attacking white working class people. Everywhere you go they are portrayed as boorish, drunk, sexualy promiscious and on benefits. Basically, the type of person who you would never want to be. This is untrue and if anything may go to just alienate them further. I myself come from a white working class family in Bradford and we nor my parents or the families of my friends were such types. All were decent and hard working. The BBC is not wrong however in bringing up the race issue because it does feel like we are foreigners in our own country. To lastly say though, regardless of how absurd a 'muslim season' or 'womens season' would be (and i'm sure you can expect one from the England hating BBC)your attacks at the first semi-decent thing they have done in years do not help out in this debate. The working class is already insulted, you certainly don't have to jump on the minority bandwagon and try to shove them back under the untouchable p.c. carpet.
Posted by: Joe | 17/03/2008 at 09:27 AM
Jonny Kannis wrote:
'This is a white christian society, but sadly eventually it will not be. I get really frustrated when people thrust foreign values onto the English and I don't understand why the English don't stamp their authority on it. Sadly it is because they are fundamentally lazy. And there you have the crux of the problem, why foreign communities thrive and prosper and will eventually take over. Could not happen in Russia, China or Pakistan! The indigineous communities would not allow it.'
Comment:
I could not of put it better myself mate. My Grandfather came here back in the 50's from the Caribbean because the British Government invited him here to do the work that the White Working Classed deemed as beneath them. As a result he has a house worth £500,000 in London a house in Barbados and a load of gran children.
Posted by: Wayne | 17/03/2008 at 12:38 PM
Reading some of these responses makes me feel almost ashamed to associate myself with White Britain.
I was also shocked at the promo leading up to this series. Cheap thrills springs to mind. Maybe the beeb are not painfully out of touch but chasing ratings.
Yes, the BBC and other corporations broadcast ethnic minority programming. This is because a) there's demand for it, and b) something needs to be done to encourage understanding and dialogue between different cultures. It doesn't take a genius to realise that there is a massive gulf between diverse cultures in this country.
If we were to send 'immigrants' back to 'where they come from' then we should find those who wish to do this, look into their family lineage, and if they happen to have been immigrants at any point in the last ten generations, send them 'back' too. Isn't that fair?
Where would this country be without immigration? What about the Romans and the Normans?
Such racism stemming from insecurity and ignorance isn't helping anyone.
Posted by: Stuart | 18/03/2008 at 05:39 PM
Working class is not confined to one race and that is very obvious. The last 40 years this country has become obsessed with race and race discrimination but we have forgotten to protect the working classes. Working classes are discriminated against regardless of colour and it has been going on unchecked for hundreds of years. We are not just discriminated against we are being kept down and it has got a lot worse under this Labour government.
Social mobility is the measure of the number of people able to climb up the social ladder. Under this Labour government social mobility has virtually stopped for working class people. If you're working class you are now pretty much stuck there unless you are very lucky or very clever or both. If you don't believe me and honestly believe the governments spin please take a drive around some of our estates, the poverty is shocking and most of these families are working and not unemployed as the papers might have you believe.
Immigration is not confined to race either in fact many of the people coming to the UK are white. Labour are using immigration as a means to undercut the British worker and to keep the so called miracle economy growing. Labour have betrayed the poorest workers and the tax payer is paying for it via tax credits.
Immigration at the current trend will push our population over 70 million in less than 12 years. Anyone who understands demographics will tell you that this is not a good thing for Britain. It might sort out the shortfall in National Insurance Contributions but in the long term the effects will have to be paid for by our children. It will put pressure on our transport systems, hospitals, prisons and other local services and all this has to be paid for and planned for. You can plan based on birth rates but you can't plan for unknown immigration levels....it's impossible. This is Labours biggest failing their lack of ability to plan and you can see it all the way through government.
Posted by: Richard | 19/03/2008 at 11:21 AM
Many people coming to this country are quite educated and willing to work hard.
Posted by: Andriy Trukhin | 15/10/2008 at 10:28 PM