Bradford Reaction To Casey Review

A review into the integration of minorities has called for immigrants to take an “integration oath” after concluding that segregation and social exclusion has reached "worrying levels"

Dame Louise Casey’s review into the integration and opportunities of minorities was commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron. The Casey Review has found that women in some communities are denied "even their basic rights as British residents" and has accused public bodies of ignoring or condoning divisive or harmful religious practices out of fear of being labelled racist.

She said she found high levels of social and economic isolation in some places and cultural and religious practices in communities that are not only holding some of our citizens back but run contrary to British values and sometimes our laws.  She wrote in her foreword “Time and time again I found it was women and children who were the targets of these regressive practices. And too often, leaders and institutions were not doing enough to stand up against them and protect those who were vulnerable.”

Dame Casey found that women in some Muslim communities were less likely to speak English and more likely to be kept at home.

Bradford Council has said it is still studying Dame Casey’s review but Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, did say: "In this large city there can be underlying tensions between some members of different communities particularly in a climate of austerity where they perceive themselves to be competing for scarce resources, services or opportunities.”

Councillor Hinchcliffe went onto acknowledge, as in Dame Casey’s report, that in Bradford she said "Most people speak good English but for others poor English limits their ability to integrate. Some neighbourhoods are largely mono-cultural with poor quality housing. Some schools don’t reflect all our diversity because many children quite naturally attend the nearest one.”

She added "We don’t turn a blind eye or consign these issues to the “too hard” box. Our people and organisations work relentlessly on them and Bradford can demonstrate lots of good work.”

In a statement the Councillor (pictured) went onto say:

"We support dialogue across our communities and tackle conflict. We challenge and respond to unacceptable or criminal behaviour, including hate crime, and work hard to protect vulnerable people from extremism. We promote English language skills, active, responsible citizenship and shared values, placing equal emphasis on rights and responsibilities."

"Three times in the last six years we’ve seen far right extremists demonstrating here and every time, local people from all communities have shown their dignity, integrity and unity by working together and emphatically rejecting divisive messages of hate."

"It’s no coincidence that Bradford has the first synagogue in the world to have a Muslim council member, or that during devastating flooding in December 2015 many different communities, including those not affected worked tirelessly together to deliver relief."

"Our major employers have increasingly diverse workforces so more and more people are meeting, mixing and sharing experiences at work."   

"Public spaces such as the Broadway shopping centre and the award winning City Park are some of the most diverse in the country in terms of the people enjoying them." 

"The national Schools Linking Project began in Bradford and is still based here. Our Get Bradford Working partnership is connecting people to the economy and linking students to employers."

"We’ve have had some successes but we aren’t complacent.  We are active and vigilant. Bradford’s long-term resilience depends on ensuring that our youth and global connections represent strengths not liabilities and that inequality is addressed effectively."

"Realizing the potential of our citizens, particularly our young people, is a key challenge - to improve educational achievement, strengthen our economy and deliver a better quality of life for everyone. We will need to ensure that all women have the chance to participate fully in society and in the economy. Addressing inequality and delivering truly inclusive economic growth offering opportunities to everyone is critical. This means investing in social as well as physical infrastructure."

"We will stay at the forefront of national good practice. We want to host a national conference to share experiences and know-how because none of these challenges are unique to Bradford, they are national issues; indeed, while 2011 saw rioting in other major cities Bradford remained calm. Others can learn from us just as we can learn from them." 

"Diverse but not divided, Bradford is a young, growing and modern District with all the complexities and opportunities that brings.”