Thread by @robfordmancs

Today's report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities looks very much like an example of the "politics of racism" which @ProfSobolewska discussed at length in Brexitland.

@ProfSobolewska Antiracism is a losing issue for the Conservatives, who have for 50 plus years been less trusted on the issue than Labour (and for good reason - all significant antiracism legislation passed by Labour). Yet dismissing racism is also a losing issue for them, too - so what to do?

@ProfSobolewska The obvious answer is what we see today - acknowledging racism as an issue, while seeking (a) to play up (real) areas of progress and tell a positive story and (b) minimise attention to (real) areas of continuing discrimination and disadvantage

@ProfSobolewska This provides them with a framing where they can both tell a positive story of progress on antiracism, and use it to justify opposition to more radical steps which would alienate identity conservative voters, while framing left criticisms as out of touch "woke politics"

@ProfSobolewska It is no accident therefore that the briefing on the report is focusing on education - where a story can be told of ethnic minority success, while also drawing attention to poorer white students' disadvantage and thus appeal to identity conservative white voters

@ProfSobolewska It is no accident the briefings also focus on unconscious bias training - this picks out some of the weakest terrain for radical antiracists, encouraging them to defend training programs which much research suggests are of dubious merit.

@ProfSobolewska The idea, I suspect, is to try and get liberal antiracists to plant their flag on the worst hill - "Look at the woke radicals, dogmatically insisting on the gesture politics of unconscious bias training, which does nothing, and ignoring the real issues"

@ProfSobolewska This is the kind of jujitsu we can expect more of on identity and race issues I suspect - the Conservatives' goal is to force a framing which makes liberal antiracism look intolerant, and makes their own inaction look like the product of success, rather than acceptance of failure

Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about the deep social changes that are driving debates like the one being had today, check out this mega-thread of key findings from Brexitland - plenty more in the book too!

https://twitter.com/robfordmancs/status/1316652799241977856

See also this mega-thread of quotes/excerpts from my award winning co-author @ProfSobolewska

https://twitter.com/ProfSobolewska/status/1319569538262929408