23 April 2026

Five years ago, Lord Sewell headed up the ‘Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities’.  Marking this anniversary, Lord Sewell said, ‘Our report s tut clearly that racism still persists and we should confront it wherever it is found.’

He went on to say, ‘But we also said something else: the main drivers of unequal outcomes are class, geography and family stability, not race alone.’  The most startling conclusion to the commission’s report was that white working-class boys from the poorest homes were ‘the forgotten demographic’.

The Centre for Social Justice reports that disadvantaged white British boys continue to record some of the lowest results in key exams. By contrast, many poorer pupils from ethnic minority background are now pulling ahead in maths and English.

Whereas 65% of all pupils attain the expected standard only 36% of white British boys on free school meals manage it. This compares with 39% of  Black Caribbean, 58% Black African, 68% Bangladeshi and 82% Chinese boys on free school meals. The most significant factor in all of this is the stability of family life.

Two in ten poor white children live with married parents compared to six in ten among poor children in non-white families. ‘Growing up in a stable two-parent home is a stronger predictor of positive outcomes than many of the characteristics that dominate official equalities discussions such as sexuality or ethnic group.’

Can we learn something about the stability of marriage and family life from ethnic minorities? To what extent does religious affiliation play in stabilising marriages and families? Does the existence of an extended family support young couples to persevere in their love for one another despite contemporary stresses and strains?

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