May 09 2008
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“All too often diversity is only thought of in terms of ethnicity or faith,” Mr Puckrin told the conference.
“I believe we need to restate and recognise the diversity of class.
“The lowest attaining section in education today are white working-class boys; in some of our cities they are also the largest single ethnic minority.
“Why have the needs of this group been overlooked? I suspect it is the law of unexpected consequences.
“The Labour party has ceased to talk the language of class in order to win general elections.
“Liberal-minded people and the media ceased to highlight the particular problems of this group for fear of lending weight to the arguments of the National Front and BNP. This is a self-defeating position to my mind.”
— White working-class boys ‘consigned to educational scrapheap by Labour and liberal establishment’ (Daily Mail, 19 March 2008)