Is the UK racist? Report’s positive picture draws skepticism

LONDON — There is racism in Britain, but it’s not a systematically racist country that is “rigged” against non-white people, according to the findings of a government-commissioned inquiry published Wednesday.. Anti-racism activists greeted the inquiry’s conclusion with skepticism, saying the 264-page report from a panel of experts from fields including science, education, business and criminal justice downplayed the discrimination and disadvantage that ethnic minorities face in Britain. “This is a PR move to pretend the problem doesn’t exist.” Like other countries, Britain has faced an uncomfortable reckoning with race since the death of George Floyd, a Black American, at the knee of a U.S. policeman in May 2020 sparked anti-racism protests around the world. And two decades after London’s Metropolitan Police force was found by a public inquiry to be “institutionally racist,” Black people are three times as likely as white people to be arrested and twice as likely to die in police custody in Britain despite a series of police reforms. The prime minister said the government would consider the recommendations and assess “the implications for future government policy.” “The entirety of government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking the action needed to address disparities wherever they exist,” Johnson said.