New report lifts lid on Stoke's racial violence

A new report on racism in Stoke is worth reading. Written by the Institute of race Relations it’s short, simple to read and makes its key points succinctly.

Now Stoke has never been my favourite place. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had bother – sometimes, major, very violent, bother – when going to see Sunderland play there. As such it’s now the only place I won’t go for a pre-match drink.

So it didn’t surprise me to read there’s plenty of racial violence meted out to local black, Asian and migrant people in a City that has been left devastated by the closure of much of its once thriving manufacturing base – pottery, coal, steel and their supply chain industries.

As a result many inhabitants and/or the grand\children have been forced to follow Norman Tebbitt and get ‘on their bikes’ to find work. Not doing so has often meant being long-term unemployed or having to get by on part-time, irregular, poorly paid work.

As people move out then the overall numbers living in Stoke has dropped considerably. Meanwhile the arrival of a smallish number of family relatives from the Indian sub-continent and higher birth rates have increased numbers in the Asian community. Which combined with new Labour having introduced, at the start of the millennium, a dispersal programme away from the South East for asylum seekers has meant that the numbers in the black and ethnic minority communities has risen both in real terms and % wise. Up from 3% to 7% in the twenty years up to 2009.

Reading the report it’s clear that far too many of Stoke’s white working class population have been conned into believing that their current woes are somehow connected/caused by a pretty small increase in the numbers of black people living locally.

No surprise then that the fascist British National Party have done their worst to convince them that’s so, and until relatively recently receiving in return for all their campaigning a healthy electoral reward in terms of a high number of elected councillors.

But as the report shows the BNP’s success was only in part a result of their own poisonous politics. Just as importantly was ‘new’ Labour’s willingness to placate its media allies by constantly attacking the rights of asylum seekers and refugees arriving from holiday ‘hotspots’ such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Congo, Zimbabwe…

Failing to explain – never mind defend – why people are being forced to travel thousands of miles for the ‘chance’ to live in a previously disused house in a run-down part of Stoke - or Sunderland where I lived in 2002 and witnessed the despair after an Iranian refugee, Payman Behmani, was stabbed to death less than 300 yards from where we lived in Hendon – could only help create the impression that new arrivals were up to no good and should be viewed with alarm…….or even attacked?

Then there was Blair’s need to support US President George Bush in his ‘crusades’ to Afghanistan and Iraq. And even though close to 1.5 million marched in London in March 2003 to oppose the latter adventure that didn’t stop the Government pushing forward on its plans to put the Muslim community - the vast majority rightly angered by the invasions, but playing no part in the terrorist outrages that have followed in Britain –under surveillance whilst also having their residency questioned in the papers, and by politicians, for failing to ‘support our troops.’ 

Is it any surprise therefore that attacks multiplied? And whilst the BNP have now had their presence on the local council wiped out that doesn’t appear to have lessened the numbers. The statistics presented in the report are worrying. Not least because they’re taken only from official sources and so are likely to be an underestimate – especially as there are a good number of quotes indicating people who are or might be attacked view the police not as friends but as “part of the problem.”

And, sadly, there’s not much indication that things are going to get significantly better. Having won control of the council there are indications that Labour want to create an impression that with the BNP gone then the problems will go away themselves – so youth workers have been told not to distribute anti-racist leaflets or attend rallies.

Meanwhile cuts in local services and planned redundancies in the public sector are going to further economically damage the City, and with the Tories intent on using the world economic crisis to attack/finish off the welfare gains made at the end of the Second World War there is no chance of an economic revival that could create work for the thousands that desperately need it.

All of which means that in some localities black people are becoming better organised to resist the attacks. That’s good and very welcome – especially as the English Defence League recently marched through Stoke – but what’s also needed is a society in which everybody has a future with a well paid job, proper well-funded public services and a decent place to live……it doesn’t look too likely at the moment…….

To view the report New Geographies of Racism visit http://www.irr.org.uk/2011/november/bj000021.html

Death rates down but incinerator impact ignored in Kirklees

There was good news last week when it was revealed that fewer babies in Kirklees - comprising Huddersfield, Batley and Dewsbury - are dying before their first birthday.  Death rates have dropped from 6.1 per live births to 5.5 per thousand in the last couple of years. 

That’s still, though, above the national average of 4.7 per thousand. According to health professionals it’s all down to obesity, smoking, drinking during pregnancy, poor diet and genetic closeness to parents.

Which whilst clearly important means that no examination or tests have been undertaken to see if the locally sited incinerator might just play a part, especially as the cluster of wards where death rates are highest are downwind.

See map from Michael Ryan.

http://www.ukhr.eu/incineration/kirklees.pdf

And, of course, as Michael has shown in other much more affluent areas where incinerators are sited such as Chingford, North London, the death rate is also above average downwind.

Now surely, somebody or say an organisation such as the Health Protection Agency should be investigating?

See earlier article on this blog dated August 22^nd titled - Doubts grow on promised health study on incinerators impact

Articles on recent reports on birth mortality rates in Kirklees.

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2011/11/18/infant-mortality-rate-in-kirklees-is-falling-but-it-s-still-above-the-british-average-86081-29797432/

http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news/local/dewsbury-news/shock_of_smoking_mothers_1_3981122

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/obesity_warning_on_infant_deaths_1_3979957

Just two wins for Sunderland in 15 at the Stadium of Light

Sunderland 0

Fulham 0

The smallish number of fans who chanted “Bruce Out” would surely have grown considerably if Clint Dempsey hadn’t pulled his late shot wide when left with only Keiren Westwood to beat. Not that Fulham deserved to win, neither side doing enough to justify all three points in a match that confirmed both could go down at the end of the season.

Early on Westwood had kept his side level with a fine save from Mousa Dembele before twice Sunderland, through a Kieran Richardson header and Jack Colback left foot effort, had struck the woodwork. That was about it in terms of goalmouth action until late on Lee Cattermole headed Dickson Etuhu’s header off the line, Dempsey screwed wide and Stephane Sessegnon saw his shot deflect off Philippe Senderos to produce a great feet saving save from Mark Schwarzer.

Next week are at home to Steve Bruce’s old side Wigan Athletic. The crowd at the Stadium of Light, an amazing 38,000 for a side that has won just two out its last 15 at home, is quickly running out of patience for a manager who has had plenty of money to spend. Defeat to the bottom club and expect things to turn really nasty. 

Teesside steel set to roll again

There will be some post-Christmas celebrations on Teesside when steel making resumes at Redcar on January 6^th.  Previous owners Tata mothballed the plan in February 2010 before it was bought for £291 million by Thai firm, SSI this March.

Dorman Long founded Teesside steelworks in 1917 and the steel produced was used to build the Sydney Harbour and Tyne Bridge’s. Over the years thousands have relied on the works for a living, whilst it’s estimated that for each job on site another three people are employed in supply chain companies. 

Unite, in conjunction with the other unions on site, therefore fought hard to keep it open. A large demonstration was organised, leaflets were distributed in there thousands, politicians were lobbied and House of Commons visits organised. Expert help was employed to look for new customers and buyers, and a constant stream of press releases and appearances on the television kept the issue alive and helped bring it to the attention of potential purchasers.

Unite convenor Kevin Cook, who has worked in the Teesside steel industry for over 35 years is looking forward to seeing steel slabs again role out of the plant and says’ “It’s like a rebirth of the area, we’ve been informed there are around a thousand new jobs and then, hopefully, we can find additional customers to secure a long term future for Teesside Steel. “

Sadly the chairman of the multi-union committee that helped make all this possible won’t be there on January 6^th.  According to Cook, 43 year-old Geoff Waterfield of Community had become regionally known as, “That bloke from the works on the TV! But to those who knew him he was an inspirational leader who had put aside his own personal ambitions to fight for the whole employee population, their families and the future employees of this area. His high profile approach ensured Teesside Steel was rarely out of the news keeping hopes alive of a future for so many in the local community and prosperity for the area. He will be remembered in these parts for many years to come.” Waterfield died on August 31^st.

Independent schools show a shocking lack of care in asbestos survey

The recently released results of the Health and Safety Executive’s inspection initiative targeting asbestos management arrangements in randomly selected schools outside local authority control revealed a shocking lack of effective controls. 164 schools were visited and following which the HSE issued improvement notices to 28 schools including a quarter, 17 out of 59, in the independent sector.

It was discovered that over a third of schools had no written plan on how to manage asbestos, putting in doubt the long-term health of pupils, teachers and parents. Britain has the highest death rate in the world from Mesothelioma at 2,100 a year. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer almost always caused by exposure to asbestos dust. The development of the disease can take many years and can be caused by only small amounts of exposure.

Meanwhile 117 people were killed at work in the six months starting in April this year. They included five men killed in separate mining accidents at Gleision Colliery in Wales and Kellingley Mine in Yorkshire. In the former case the pit manager, Malcolm Fyfield, 55, was questioned on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter before being released on police bail as South Wales Police continued their investigations.

Agriculture accounted for 17 of the deaths, which whilst down on this time last year, is still close to 1/6^th of those killed in an industry that accounts for just 1/60^th of those at work.

Construction accounted for 22 of those killed, and of these 7 died after falling from a height, with two young men both aged 21  – Jon Valbuena and Bradley Watts – being electrocuted to death.

Race and the British media - One week in the Yorkshire Post

Newspaper coverage of race – some observations

1] A study of the Yorkshire Post from November 7^th to 12^th 2011.

Background

Defining itself as ‘Yorkshire’s National Newspaper’ the Yorkshire Post has a daily circulation total of just under 40,000 in a region [Yorkshire and Humberside] of close to five million. [4,964,833] Harrogate, with daily sales of 1569, is the town that buys the most copies, although Pateley Bridge Rural Area with sales of 270 has the highest household penetration of sales at 11.24%.

Owned by Johnston Press the paper was first published in July 1866 when it declared itself firmly committed to ‘Conservative principles’ and up to the 1960s its owners used to be known as Yorkshire Conservative Newspapers Limited. In the recent past the paper was stridently opposed to the ban on foxhunting.

7.3% of the population of Yorkshire is classified as ethnic minorities, with the majority living in West Yorkshire [including close to 1 in 5 of the population of Leeds, home to the offices of the Yorkshire Post] and to a lesser extent South Yorkshire. Approximately 10.7% of the UK’s population is from ethnic minority backgrounds.

News themes

In addition to the ongoing economic [and political] crisis across the world, and specifically in the euro-zone, the Yorkshire Post had a large number of articles on events surrounding Armistice Day on November 11^th. [*]

There were also a number of articles about the [possible] discovery of Christopher Alder’s body in a Hull mortuary ten years after the former black paratrooper’s funeral.  

Alder died after choking to death in the local police station in April 1998. This led to an unsuccessful prosecution against five police officers for manslaughter and misconduct. They had been caught on CCTV laughing and joking as Alder died within feet of them, but were cleared of disciplinary charges in 2003 even though the Independent Police Complaints Commission [IPCC] later found the conduct of four of them amounting to “unwitting racism” and a “most serious neglect of duty.”

Now it appeared the body returned to his family for burial might have been that of a 77 old black woman Grace Kamara, with Christopher’s body being discovered when Grace’s body was finally due to be released for burial more than a decade after she had died.

Considering the background to the case, and knowing how many black people have died in police custody without any officer doing time, then I think a journalist covering this story might just consider that this isn’t any ordinary ‘mistake’, that just perhaps there might be some racial element to this whole affair? That someone is taking ‘revenge’ on the family and friends for the long fight they put up for Justice and a successful prosecution? Well if anyone on the Yorkshire Post did consider such a possibility it didn’t make it into the paper as no probing questions appear to have been asked of anyone in authority. [If they were then the answers haven’t made it into the paper]

The coverage of the discovery of Christopher Alder’s body is at odds with much of the reporting in the rest of the Yorkshire Post where there is a noticeable absence of black and Asian people, certainly locally. You certainly wouldn’t be able to guess that 7% of the region is black and ethnic minority or 10% of the UK’s population is.

But where they are covered then these are the issues that were raised: -

1] A trial in which it is alleged that sham marriages were being arranged in which Slovakian and Pakistani’s are deeply implicated. Reports on this appeared on three days.

2] Two reports in which the word Muslim appears in the headlines – ‘Seven killed as Muslim festival hit by suicide bombers’ and ‘Muslim sect attacks kill more than 100.’ Muslims it appears are either being killed or killing others if this is typical of the YP’s coverage of a very large number of people, both locally and [inter] nationally.

3] Immigration – this was the week in which Home Secretary Theresa May was alleged to have ‘loosened’ border controls and quite naturally many papers, including YP, covered the affair. The paper chose to use it as the background to one of its Daily News Poll asking Is the UK Border Agency fit for purpose? whilst also warning the Government that it ‘needs to be far most robust’ in its leader columns. In its letter columns there were 2 letters during the week, one of which was headlined ‘immigration is increasing’ and there were three small articles that taken together would suggest Britain is in danger.

[a] A ‘border officer gave false visas to non-EU residents’ and

[b] ‘Forced marriages - spouses under 21 given right to enter UK’ 

[c] Most English think country ‘crowded’ indicating ¾’s of Britons are concerned about population projections suggesting the UK will reach 70 million within 16 years. [A figure the UK would have reached back in the 1980s if not for the fact that until the last few years it has been a net exporter of people for over 150 years]

In terms of positive coverage of events where black people were involved there were just two/three during the week.

The first was a picture of Prince Charles meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa.

Second was the accompanying picture and quote by Prudential Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam declaring ‘we will do better than our rivals, predicts Prudential.’

In addition there was a lengthy piece written by Nick Ahad on Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. Ahad’s photograph accompanies the article and it would appear from reading the rest of the paper that this is the only article written in six days by a writer/journalist from an obvious ethnic minority background.

[*] And whilst this piece isn’t about war its worth noting that none of the YP’s articles offered any suggestion that those who died did so – especially in the First World War – for very little or that those currently sacrificing themselves on the killing fields of Iraq and Afghanistan are doing so for oil and to further Britain’s imperialist ambitions. War it would seem is good.

Chesterfield's b2net Stadium lets down disabled fans

Chesterfield's 18 month old stadium has far superior facilities to previous home Saltergate but like the grounds at Morecambe and Brighton it appears to have few facilities for disabled fans, with all vantage points pitch side.

Home of Chesterfield United 

No vantage points for disabled fans above pitch height

Torquay United fans celebrate their sides third goal in a 3-1
FA Cup first round succcess 

Chesterfield United 1 Torquay United 3
A fair reflection on the balance of the game.