White working-class 'overlooked'

Government bodies and town halls have been "blind" to the needs of white working-class people, a Cabinet minister said today.

Communities Secretary John Denham called for a new focus on the impact of immigration on existing populations.

"This must include poorer white working-class communities, as well as disadvantaged minority ethnic communities," he said.

"Agencies which have been blind to these issues, or thought their only remit was to address minority issues, must re-assess the way they work."

Mr Denham is the latest minister to say that mistakes by policymakers have fuelled resentment in working-class communities and the rise of the British National Party. Last month Home Secretary Alan Johnson said immigration policy had been "maladroit".

Mr Denham said state agencies charged with tackling inequality and disadvantage should stop focusing solely on ethnic minority groups.

In future, he said, they must include whites in order to address a sense of "insecurity and unfairness" in working-class communities.

Without action, he warned, there would be resentment, particularly where people believed their access to jobs and public services was reduced by immigration.

Gordon Brown said this month it was "not racist" to talk about immigration problems. Speaking at the Trades Union Congress, Mr Denham said: "We have to avoid the perception that some groups are singled out for special treatment.

"By ensuring that our policies are both fair, and seen to be fair, we reduce the risk that they can be exploited by others who would distort them to drive people apart."

He said poorer white boys had more in common with black classmates than with middle-class whites, but were in danger of being "overlooked".