Not In My Name - Details

"People want to know why Asian people are getting this kind of special treatment. But Asian people didn't ask for it. They don't want these organisations [race equality bodies]. Asian people have been living in this area for more than 50 years and are quite able to look after themselves. They don't want to be treated differently. They feel insulted by these groups." Councillor Karam Hussain from Dewsbury on the abolition of race equality bodies.

“None of these open days should have been closed to white communities. I couldn’t give two hoots if they are white, black, Asian, male or female – they should be the best person for the job.” Batook Pandya, director of Bristol-based charity Support Against Racist Incidents, on the subject of fire service open days aimed only at ethnic minorities recruits.

If you are from a "minority" - and don't forget this includes women! - and you don't think there should be quotas or targets in firms or political parties for the numbers of people who fit into superficial tick boxes - i.e. women, ethnic minorities, disabled, homosexual etc - then we would like to hear from you. We'd also like to hear from you if you think that some of the groups which purport to speak for your so called particular "minority" actually don't really consult you and are over-sensitive to issues surrounding offence to the point where they are counterproductive.

Many people have already contacted the Campaign saying that they do not want this to go on "in their name" as they don't agree with it.

1. They think that jobs should be awarded on the basis of someone's ability only and not their colour (see our page of racist job adverts which are being placed all the time by clicking here).

2. They are fed up with people feeling offence on their behalf and say they are quite capable of determining what is and what is not offensive and then challenging what they don't like.

3. They are sick to death of people not seeing humour in jokes.

4. They feel that actions always speak louder than mere words.

5. They think that discrimination - even with the word "positive" added - is completely wrong.

So, we are putting together a pamphlet to explain why all this political correctness - including so-called positive action and positive discrimination - is wrong and why it is both patronising and counterproductive to the very people it is supposed to be helping.

Further details will be available in due course and will be added to this website but if you want to add your name now to the list of people supporting this cause just sign our form (link below) or click here and send us an e-mail with your name, reason for being categorised as a "minority" and any stories or comments you have.

If you are a white, heterosexual male you don't need to contact us. But don't worry - the work we are doing will benefit everyone - including you - as we want to get rid of sexism and racism not perpetuate discrimination in this misguided attempt to do good. We want to ensure that people are treated fairly in the future and this is why this project is so important.

"What matters is their [politicians'] politics, not their skin colour. I reject identity-based representation not only because the idea that one should be represented only by one’s own kind is, and always has been, at the heart of the racist agenda, but also because such representation acts as an obstacle to what you call ‘a genuinely participatory democracy’. Minority groups are as divided by nationality, class, gender, faith, age and so on as is the rest of the population. If every experience deserves its own representation, then we would end up with a babble of voices and no common way forward. On the other hand, if we divide society up into a small number of ‘communities’ (black, Asian etc), and demand representation for each of those communities, then we ignore the differences within those groups. A recent poll conducted for Channel 4’s Dispatches programme showed that less than four per cent of Muslims think that the Muslim Council of Britain represents British Muslims. Whatever organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain represent, it is not their ‘community’." Extracts of a debate contribution by Kenan Malik on political correctness in politics and the selection of our politicians.

"For a long time now, certainly a number of years, the council has only put up things which say 'season's greetings' on town halls. There was a strong perception that political correctness was behind this. I think this kind of PC does more harm than good to community relations. This year we will be putting up 'Merry Christmas' signs on all our town halls." Councillor Khizar Iqbal from Dewsbury on Christmas.

"[Ethnic monitoring makes] a false assumption about the nature of ethnic identity, assuming it is something absolute, like a date of birth, when for many people it is a thing of complexity and fluidity.... But how much better it would be if organisations just accepted that such an approach to monitoring diversity was intellectually flawed and morally dubious." Sathnam Sanghera on ethnic monitoring.

Comedian Inder Manocha says we are now "overly sensitive" because of political correctness
25 July 2008

In an interview, comedian Inder Manocha said, "Growing up in the 70s and 80s in London, as one of only two Asian kids at his school, getting picked on was inevitable. But the current demand for political correctness can be even worse. Everyone’s very sensitive now, overly sensitive. A lot of people are very careful about my culture and I’ve been called ‘someone of colour’ before now. Everyone’s so inclusive now and when I was growing up I felt like a bit of an outsider so it’s a bit suffocating all of a sudden. I do a lot of stuff about cultural identity, my own identity and what that means. I also try to play with preconceptions people have about Muslims and prejudices that Asians themselves have, which doesn’t get touched on often."

We might all be equal in the eyes of God, but when it comes to the real world treating people fairly rather than equally is more important says Roshan Doug.

Peter Fahy, the outspoken Chief Constable of Cheshire Police and a former Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on Race and Diversity would like to see fixed quotas for Black and Asian officers, a monitoring system that ensures good representation of ethnic minority groups especially in senior ranks.

So irrespective of the calibre of candidates, the police must put forward a certain number of black and Asian officers. It’s what many on the left would call ‘positive discrimination’.

At the same time, as if it’s not an oxymoronic way of thinking, he insists the police must ensure all candidates are treated fairly.

I’m pleased he’s used the word ‘fairly’ and not ‘equally’. In my opinion ‘equality’ is used rather too loosely in today’s politically correct world. We’re all ‘equal’, we’re told as if it’s a fact that cannot be challenged.

A group of young thugs who stab a hard-working family man outside his home because he complained about their rowdy, anti-social behaviour are not in my opinion, his equals.

Or a burglar who gets shot whilst carrying out a burglary in a dwelling place of an elderly man, is not his equal. Similarly a psychopath who throws chips at a young couple and fatally stabs one of them, is not their equal.

And hooded thugs who rob a promising, hard working a solicitor and stab him to death – all for the sake of a mobile phone and twenty odd quid – are not, I’m sorry, his equals.

We must not get wrapped up in a politically correct social philosophy of thinking we’re all equal. And it’s all because of very time-consuming, ineffectual monitoring procedures. But at the same time, unlike Peter Fahy, I don’t want people promoted purely on the basis of the colour of their skin – call it ‘positive discrimination’ or something else. To me that’s rather patronising – as if Asians and blacks are a little more than token staff to appease the CRE. I would like to see the best men and women for the job. Quite often it seems that political correctness gets in the way of common sense. How many times have I seen diminutive police officers – voluntary and professional – walking about in the streets no more confident or stronger than children in our local primary schools. It does not fill me with confidence to know that when tall, burly dangerous thugs – well armed – are rampaging in our cities at least the police authorities are regarding all candidates as equal and giving everyone the opportunity to wear the uniform.

The same trait seems to apply to education, where schools and colleges employ black and Asian support staff and learning assistants even when their English is not quite up to the standard. And in a local college where my friend teaches, there’s a severely dyslexic white member of staff who teaches literacy to students with learning difficulties. The college has to offer this member of staff a personal assistant so that the PA can do all the paperwork for him. That, to me, is hideous and bizarre – it’s that clichéd case of political correctness gone mad.

We have to by lead by our common sense and a compulsion to exercise fairness but not by a legislative imperative to regard everyone as an equal.

In an article on the blog Conservative Home, former aspiring MP Ali Miraj said he felt that the white working classes in the country were being ignored. He also mentioned that he understood why many were turning to the BNP for answers saying, "It is, in my view, a perfectly rational reaction by a growing proportion of the white working class who feel marginalised by a political elite that would rather ignore them." Had this been said by someone who was white the reaction would have been predictable but this piece has not elicited the usual claims of racism naturally! Of course by not commenting on these remarks, those who normally tend to shout the loudest against others just prove what racists they actually are as it clearly demonstrates that they are the ones who treat people differently based on their race. To read the whole well thought out and well written contribution by Ali Miraj in pdf format click here.

Women are not discriminated against most of the time - they just make different choices says India Knight

I’ll tell you what the issue is with women in business or women and work. It is extremely simple. It is not to do with sexist dinosaur male bosses or with male-dominated industries crushing our genius. It is not to do with glass ceilings. It is to do, very straightforwardly, with the number of hours we are prepared to put in. If you’re happy to work a 16-hour day and never see your children, you too can become a master of the universe. Simple as that, as McQueen might put it.

Men have been doing this for generations and the common interpretation is that they don’t mind, that there is no emotional cost, that they can just do it, guiltlessly, because they have a penis. It’s complete nonsense: ask any man who works impossible hours. There is a vast emotional cost. There are health costs. There is often a marital cost.

Why do we assume that men feel perfectly happy and breezy about never seeing their kids, living a truncated version of family life and claiming that it causes them no anguish? It clearly does but they do it anyway. Ask a woman to do it anyway and you’re a sexist pig. Why?

Few women are prepared to make that kind of sacrifice. This is entirely their right and good on them. However, it is surely both dishonest and intensely stupid to apportion blame - in the form of so-called corporate discrimination - to what is essentially a completely personal choice: power versus being there at bath time, conferences versus the park, business trips versus getting home in time for homework, giving “110%” versus sleeping more than five hours a night.

Why blame somebody else for a subjective decision? If you’re a woman who wants to run the world, giving up the things that everyone else in your position has also given up, go right ahead.

When is black, black anyway and what does it all mean?

One journalist asked various bodies to confirm what is meant by the term "black". We have heard this phrase a lot recently - separate teaching for black boys, was the call of Trevor Phillips of the Commission for Racial Equality and more black police officers are needed said the Metropolitan Police. But what do they mean by the phrase "black". This excellent article by Sean Thomas of the Sunday Telegraph (13 March 2005) just shows what a nonsense our obsession with colour of skin really is. To read this excellently written piece just click on the 5 extracts below or go straight to the story on the Telegraph website (especially if you do not have broadband) by clicking here.

Philip Davies, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, has asked a series of questions in the House of Commons which have revealed just some of the costs of political correctness which have previously been unknown. This - we are sure - is very much only the tip of the iceberg!

Click here to see the details from the Treasury. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Northern Ireland Office. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for International Development. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Transport. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department of Health. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Defence. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department Children, Schools and Families. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Ministry of Justice. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Ministry of Justice (Prisons). (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Government Equalities Office. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Work and Pensions. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Duchy of Lancaster. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Welsh Office. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Scottish Office. (Alternative Link)
Click here to see the details from the Department for Communities and Local Government. (Alternative Link)

Gender Pay Gap is not caused by discrimination - says female CBI Director
22 April 2008

In response to yet more statistics on the so-called "Gender Pay Gap", Susan Anderson, director of human resources policy at the CBI, said that it was completely wrong to blame widespread employer discrimination for this.

She said, "Women are most likely to work in lower-paid sectors than men. They also still take a lion’s share of bringing up families so their careers plateau while men continue to progress."

The Government's plans to make incitement to homophobic hatred a crime has been criticised by gay journalists. Click here to read one such article in The Times. Matthew Paris also follows this up in April 2008 with the following observations:

"One of my first diaries on this page took a sideways look at a particularly silly idea from the Government: The promise of Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, to outlaw “gay hate speech”. I argued that free speech demands rough-and-tumble and give-and-take, that from time to time insults and condemnation must inevitably fly; that honest opinions and religious beliefs on the morality of different kinds of sexual behaviour do differ; and that to treat homosexuals as a pathetic minority in need of special protection from harsh commentary was, itself, insulting.

These days we gays can stand up for ourselves. In 1980 we could perhaps have done with protection like this, but that was before sexual tolerance became fashionable in the media, the Government or the Opposition. As Rowan Atkinson says, the point at which criticism of any group is considered so outrageous that it's a vote-winner for politicians to outlaw it is probably the point at which the law's protection is no longer needed.

Well, just before midnight on Monday the House of Lords went a long way towards squashing the Government's proposals. By a substantial majority it approved a clause that would protect our present freedom to criticise or question sexual practices.

So two cheers for our Noble (and in many cases Reverend) Friends. In the Commons Mr Straw may now try to overturn their amendment. Instead, the Commons should push it further, and restore the freedom of speech casually to insult as well as seriously to criticise sexual practices.

Police force guilty of illegal discrimination against white men
22 September 2006

Gloucestershire Police said it had been trying to 'advance diversity' when it rejected 108 men in favour of women and ethnic minority candidates. Chief Constable Dr Timothy Brain's force confessed it had acted unlawfully because of their sex and skin colour. It has agreed to pay one of the snubbed men, 30-year-old Matt Powell, £2,500 in damages. The tribunal said the force had been 'at the very least disingenuous and at worst misleading'. Mr Powell, who has wanted to join the police since he was a child, said: 'I didn't come here for the money. I just want to be heard. 'I firmly believe a wrong has been done here. I was, I still am, desperate to be a police officer and they have unfairly discriminated against me.'

The force was under pressure to meet a Government target of ethnic minority recruits making up seven per cent of force strength by 2009. At the time, they made-up only 1.6 per cent, forcing senior commanders to take desperate - and illegal - measures. Mr Powell, along with the 107 other men was told he had made it through to the second round of the recruitment process. But, two months later, they received letters stating they had been 'randomly deselected'. No explanation was given by recruitment officials.

It has since emerged the police had taken the decision to deselect the men as part of an 'advance diversity' drive. Every one of the 129 female and ethnic minority candidate who applied was accepted. Police only came clean following an investigation by the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission, yesterday's employment tribunal was told.

Laura Midgley said, "All these so-called equality and diversity schemes cost a lot of money in the first place - money which could be far better spent. And now we have more money being spent on tribunals and compensation - again money which could be far better spent. And this has all been in pursuit of an objective that most people in this country don't want and certainly don't approve of."

Debate by Police Chiefs to boost the recruitment of black and Asian and female officers by positive discrimination
19 April 2007

"People want the best police force, and if you start ring-fencing jobs for certain groups, I think you're going down a very dangerous path," he said.

Brighton and Hove City Council have said that applicants for a job at a local museum can't be white. John Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness said:

"To deny someone a job on the basis of their skin colour is racist. It is very troubling that Brighton and Hove City Council are being blatantly racist on this occasion and more importantly that they do so with the full protection of Race Equality Laws - which are proving very counter-productive to race relations. Brighton and Hove City Council are not alone in pursuing these politically correct and highly discriminatory measures and those who want real fairness and equality of opportunity need to make sure these moves are highlighted and opposed at every opportunity."

This discrimination being perpetuated in the name of political correctness is not just a one off and is happening on a regular basis now. Anyone who is opposed to discrimination should surely be very concerned to know that this sort of thing is a) legal and b) being encouraged. At the end of the day - What is black? (see article above too on this subject) What is white? Why on earth should someone's skin colour matter and be used as a measure of diversity? Isn't diversity about more than this - diversity of talent, ideas, backgrounds, attitudes etc and not just the superficial colour of someone's skin.

Click here to read the story in the Brighton Argus.
Click here to read the story in the Daily Mail.
Click here to read the story in the Daily Telegraph.

Click here for an article in the Daily Telegraph about the colour of skin.

The following exchange took place between Philip Davies MP and the Minister for Women and Equality Ruth Kelly (who is also the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) in the House of Commons yesterday:

Philip Davies: Will the Minister promise the House that in her desire to see more women in senior positions in the medical profession, she will not go down the politically correct route of having quotas, targets and positive discrimination? Will she always hold to the fact that jobs should be given on merit, irrespective of people’s gender?

Ruth Kelly: Of course jobs should be given on merit, but if the hon. Gentleman is suggesting that the majority of female undergraduates who are currently training in medical school should not have the opportunity to have their careers progress at the same rate as men’s, I believe that he is mistaken.

So, equality of opportunity - the fair approach - is deemed less preferable than the unfair system of a fixed outcome thanks to some quota! This is hardly something anyone who believes in trying to get rid of discrimination and unfairness should be encouraging!

Mr Hussain's views echo those of Bishop of Lichfield the Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill, who yesterday said most other faiths wished Christians were more 'up front' about their beliefs.

He said: "I don’t know where they get this view from. The way we are going at the moment, articles and headlines like this won’t help the community get together, it will damage the community.

"Everybody should celebrate each other’s festivals, whether it be Christmas, Diwali or Eid — it’s about getting together and not dividing.

"Who are these people who are saying this about Christmas? It’s not representative and doesn’t represent Muslim people.