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A perspective on the attacks on race equality and multiculturalism by Lee Jasper.

As we have seen the slow decline of the global economic, military and political influence of Britain we have also seen a growing sense of insecurity and melancholia, particularly from white British people whose confidence about their place and status in a world has become increasingly fragile. The economic rise of India, China, Brazil and Russia alongside the effects of globalisation has produced a crisis of national confidence.

Poor take up of free eye tests in Wales by people from ethnic minority groups is leading to unnecessary blindness new research has revealed

Research suggests black minority and ethnic (BME) groups are up to six times more likely to suffer conditions which could lead to blindness, but three times less likely to seek treatment.

The new Bill of Rights Commission launch last week has come under attack from the Society of Black Lawyers (SBL) who has issued a strong statement criticizing its all-white membership. 

The Commission launched by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and Secretary of State for Justice, Kenneth Clarke will investigate the case for a UK Bill of Rights.

The Prime Minister recently criticised what he called 'state multiculturalism' and said it had failed, arguing that Britain needs a stronger national identity. Perhaps one of the greatest cultural theorists of our generation Professor Stuart Hall (pictured above) takes a measured view about David Cameron’s views, culture, politics and race.

The death in police custody of Smiley Culture after the police raided his home leaves Surrey Police with a lot of questions to answer as far as I am concerned.

There are reliable witness statements that confirm that Smiley was alive when the police arrived and after allowing others in the house to leave the property; the police version of events is that Smiley stabbed himself.

The Hindu Holi festival will bring out the colour this weekend as families gather to celebrate.

The Holi festival is an ancient annual celebration of the triumph of good over bad. The colorful festival bridges social gaps and renews relationships, it’s a day when people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'.

The family of David Emmanuel aka Smiley Culture called for the public to join the family to seek truth and justice about the circumstances surrounding the former singer’s death, and to remember the star for his achievements.

Yesterday saw the launch of two very different campaigns: the official Labour Yes to AV campaign and the opposing official Labour No to AV campaign.

The Labour Yes campaign was unveiled by the current Labour leader Ed Miliband, with support from the former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and former Home Secretary, Alan Johnson.

Mr Milband said this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for true democratic reform:

These opportunities don't come along very often, and we've got to seize that moment.

Joe Harker in today’s Guardian writes a piece on the contentious issue of identity politics and how he'll be ticking the African box on this year’s census form. He argues that that it is time for peoples of African descent top come together by defining themselves under a single and united term.

He writes:

Britain is moving to the right on the issues of race and race equality. The mood music for black and ethnic minorities in the UK has changed and we now hear the primal drums of racism being beaten across the country.

There is an established culture of routine denial about the reality of social and institutional racism. This represents a fundamental shift in political perspectives affecting both the right and left wing sections of the media and current academic and political discourse.