May I suggest that Mr. Messer (Bournemouth Echo Letters, July 8, 2009) rereads my letter. I did not say that local people treat Gypsies as they were treated in the Second World War. What I actually wrote was that the prejudice and bigotry that fueled the Holocaust is still alive and well. I stand firmly behind that opinion. So that there shall be no doubt, by “Gypsy/Gypsies” I am referring to Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers. Mr. Messer cannot just magic ethnic Gypsies away by rebranding them as “travellers”.
Ethnic Gypsies living in the UK today are often the descendants of Gypsies living here during the Second World War. Which is hardly surprising considering that Gypsies have been here since at least the 16th Century. Does Mr. Messer think that these people would have fared any better than did their European brethren had the Nazis occupied the UK?
Locally Gypsies are forced to use “illegal” sites because of the dire lack of legal facilities. They are then harassed by the authorities whilst being denied the basic Council services we all enjoy. The consequences of such policies are not due to an unwillingness to pay as Mr. Messer so unkindly suggests. Gypsies in Devon for example have offered to do so on several occasions with no effect.
In a March 2008 seminar at the House of Commons examples were cited of open racist stereotyping of Gypsies in the media, denial of ethnic minority rights and political scape-goating. This behaviour would not be tolerated in the case of any other UK ethnic minority.
Certain provisions of the notorious Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, 1994 have as predicted greatly increased the tensions between Gypsies and their non-Gypsy neighbours. The negative consequences of this legislation for Gypsies has been described as amounting to “ethnic cleansing”. It made the statute despite considerable cross-party opposition in the Commons and the Lords.
More recently the Housing Act, 2004 has added fuel to the fire with the following clause, “Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, …”. This denies Gypsies the rights that come with their recognition as an ethnic minority in law. It ignores their distinctive planning needs related to their culture and ethnicity. It amounts to a serious denial of the UK’s ethnic diversity and the government’s much trumpeted commitment to inclusiveness, equality of opportunity and freedom from racial/ethnic discrimination.
Local Councils and the Police Service among others have a general statutory duty to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups (Race Relations (Amendment) Act, 2000). Anyone unsure as to their duties in this regard is free to contact Mr. Adnan Chaudry – Chief Officer of the Dorset Race Equality Council.
Tags: Bournemouth, Dorset, Gypsies, Poole
