Culture wars give Boris Johnson and his government a quick and easy high. They're no substitute for governing
CNN
"Two basic rules of government: Never look into anything you don't have to. And never set up an inquiry unless you know in advance what its findings will be." The words are from "Yes Minister," a 1980s television satire about the dysfunction of British politics, but they could equally apply to the Westminster of today.
Sir Humphrey Appleby, the amoral civil servant who served his lazy minister in the long-running BBC series, might have allowed himself a wry smile this week on the release of a report on racial inequalities that, despite coming from an independent panel, had strong echos of the UK government's stated view of the issue. Like many of Sir Humphrey's fictional schemes though, this one risks inflaming the very problems that it purports to address. The report, released on March 31 by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, was commissioned last fall in the aftermath of the pent-up frustrations of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and their supporters -- who demanded the government seriously consider and address the racial inequalities that still permeate British society.More Related News