An Uncomfortable Truth About Racism in Scotland?
Scotland has always felt a welcoming and friendly place for me - but that's not the case for everyone.
And by 'everyone', I'm really talking about people from ethnic minority groups.
Recent anti-immigration rallies and protests in cities like Glasgow, Perth, Aberdeen and Falkirk are a sign that racism - even if expressed by a tiny minority - remains an issue for the country to tackle.
A Time of Protests, Flags and Counter-Protests
There were reports of student nurses being too afraid to leave their homes when the Glasgow rally (promoted by Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, co-founder of the now supposedly disbanded far right, Islamophobic English Defence League) was held in George Square last month.
The Scottish flag, the blue and white of St Andrew - known as the saltire - has become embroiled in patriotic controversy. Neighbourhoods, towns and cities seeing the national flag being used as a political weapon to divide communities.
If it's not flags, it's words.
One speaker at an asylum seeker protest in Falkirk is reported to have concluded his speech with the words: "Keep Britain white. Keep Scotland white..."
To be clear, those words are racist.
The Scotland protests were mirrored by demonstrations in England and often met with counter-protests by anti-racist groups, including Stand Up To Racism. As The Guardian reported, thousands of anti-racism campaigners turned up in Glasgow to counter the rally involving a couple of hundred anti-immigration protestors.
The overwhelming numbers for the anti-racism campaigners could be regarded as a positive: a symbol of Scotland taking a stand against a far right-leaning minority. But look deeper into other numbers in recent years - around the experiences of people from ethnic minority groups - and it does not make for such good reading.
Ethnic Minorities in Scotland Attacked, Insulted, Harassed and Experiencing Injustice
A report of the Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS) in December 2024 revealed some key findings which suggest Scotland still has some way to go to tackle racism.
The report found:
- One in 10 people from ethnic minority groups in Scotland have suffered recent racist physical attack.
- One in four people from ethnic minority groups in Scotland experienced recent racist insult.
- More than one third of people from ethnic minority groups in Scotland worry about racist harassment.
- The majority of people identifying as Black, Pakistani, Indian or Jewish in Scotland worry about racist harassment.
- Levels of worry about racism are higher in Scotland than in England and Wales for many people in ethnic minority groups.
- One in six people from ethnic minority groups in Scotland experienced recent unfair racist treatment in their job or education, one in 10 in housing or from the police.
- Black and Chinese ethnic groups in Scotland have particularly high levels of reporting racist insult and unfair racist treatment from police.
Legislation against racism in Scotland includes the 2021 Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act - with sections covering areas such as aggravation of offences by prejudice, racially aggravated harassment and offences relating to stirring up hatred - and the 2010 Equality Act, covering discrimination.
Whilst the report suggests the majority of people from ethnic minority groups have a positive experience of living in Scotland, the key finding figures above should not be considered acceptable to any country promoting diversity, equality and inclusion.
There is No Excuse for 'Casual' Racism, Either
I heard a story about a health worker from an ethnic minority group 'tooted' by drivers when she walks to work at her local city hospital in Scotland.
Not friendly toots from a friend, colleague or neighbour passing by. Toots from white men, deliberately slowing their vehicle briefly, sending a signal that the health worker is a different colour to them - and she has been 'noticed'.
That is a form of racial harassment. It's unnecessary, sinister and unnerving for the person involved (who says they moved to Scotland because they did not feel 'comfortable' living in England).
People in Scotland - almost always white people - can also be guilty of what might be called 'casual' racism.
They meet a person from an ethnic minority group (who is clearly a different colour from themselves) and ask:
"And where do you come from?"
The person replies something like "I'm from the UK" or "I'm British" or "I'm from [insert town or city where they live]."
To which they are asked a second question: "Yes, but where are you from originally?" (as if every non-white person is 'automatically' an immigrant).
Racist?
Well, ask yourself this. Have you ever asked those two questions of a white person? If you're a white person, has anyone ever asked you that? (I'm betting the answer in both cases is 'No' or 'Never').
If it's not a question you would ask a white person, why would you ask it of a person from an ethnic minority group?
Want to Know More About Tackling Racism in Scotland?
There are a number of organisations in Scotland working to eliminate racial discrimination and harassment.
The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) is a Glasgow-based charity working to tackle structural racism in the country. It uses research, policy development, lobbying, campaigning, networking building and more to promote racial justice.
Part of an international network of anti-racism organisations, Stand Up To Racism in Scotland has organised a number of counter-protests across the country.
Sports fans will probably have heard of Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) - the racism educational charity set up in 1996 - and its involvement with high-profile football players to help tackle racism - not just in sport but in wider society.
The Scottish Government set up an Anti-Racism in Education Programme (AREP) to help address race inequality in schools.
SCOREScotland is a small charity which advocates for social justice and equal opportunity. It is committed to supporting and empowering those who face discrimination.
Do you know of any other organisations in Scotland doing good work in this field?
There's Still a Need for Awareness, Education and Action to Tackle Racism in Scotland
From my perspective, anti immigration protests are largely being fuelled by lies, misinformation, xenophobia and racism.
There are challenges around immigration and illegal immigration that need addressing - across the whole of the UK - but the issue is being used by the far right to create chaos, confusion and channel hatreds towards people from ethnic minority groups.
What I see is ignorance, blind hatred of human beings because of their race or colour, and blatant racism.
I'm well travelled. I have visited countries like India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. From all my travels, I can confidently say three things.
- Whatever the colour of our skin, we human beings are pretty much the same underneath. Most people - anywhere on this planet - want shelter, to be able to put food on the table for their families and to live in peace. We laugh, we cry. We worry, we bleed red blood. We work, we play.
- People in these countries may ask "Where are you from?" (because they can see you are a tourist, in some parts of the world that is not so common and they are curious) but they never ask "No, but where are you really from?" (They also don't usually bring up colonialism, capitalism, empire or slavery to make you feel bad - despite the damage these things have caused their country over the centuries and still today)
- People in the poorest parts of the world are often the most kind and generous people you will ever meet. BBC journalist Kate Adie described it as 'the kindness of strangers' in her autobiography. During my travels abroad, I have been invited into people's homes, given lunch or lifts, offered gifts, and helped across a fast-running river by strangers. They did not care about the colour of my skin (white). They simply saw another human being. And that's how it should be.
What can we do to help tackle racism?
Firstly, we must acknowledge there's a problem with racism in Scotland (and in the UK, and in other parts of the world, too).
Secondly, there's a job around raising awareness and education to be done.
Read some history. Learn about slavery, colonialism and fascism (it will not be a comfortable read but will give you context and understanding of why so much of what's happening around immigration and treatment of immigrants is wrong).
Thirdly, explore what you can do to support anti-racism activity. Take a look at the work some of the charities and organisations listed above are doing.
Words Always Matter - Take Care What You Say
Pay more attention to your attitudes, opinions and the language you use. As Reform MP Sarah Pochin discovered in the latest row regarding the party, the words you speak have impact and consequences.
The MP complained, during a TalkTV phone-in, about advertising 'demographics' and (agreeing with one caller) said, "it drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people".
That is racist language. It needs to called out. The media needs to call it out (and not just 'hide' behind quoting other politicians 'saying' the comments were racist).
Regardless of intent, whatever point Sarah Pochin was trying to make, those words are racist. (A whole other article could look into the facts and historical context around TV advertising and diversity - to present a more balanced picture of the issue).
The Runcorn and Helsby MP has since apologised, saying her remarks were "phrased poorly", but insisted that many adverts on TV in the UK were "unrepresentative of British society".
We all have a responsibility for the words we use and the actions we take. Those in power, high office or with large global influence have an even greater responsibility to get it right.
Time for Scotland to lead and make its towns, cities and villages feel safe and welcoming for everyone - regardless of their colour.
