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What is the role of an ethical business in the context of the public disturbance and race riots we have seen in parts of the UK in recent days?
If your community has been directly affected by rioting, your immediate priority will no doubt be the safety of colleagues and all the consequences of cleaning up and rebuilding.
My personal social media feed has been full of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK who have been seriously affected by the riots, many being reminded of traumatic experiences with racism they and/or family members have had before. There will be colleagues in your organisation who will need recognition of the impact that the news has had on them and possibly support and dialogue about practical issues like personal safety, as well as empathy and understanding about the impact of the bigger picture.
Since the tragic murders of Bebe, Alice and Elsie in Southport at a Taylor Swift dance class on 29 July and the race riots that happened afterwards, there has been some useful analysis about how the British public has responded to what happened.
More in Common research, published in the FT and the Guardian, has started to set out the complexity of opinion, through polling. It might be useful to understand where public opinion is as you consider your response as an organisation. How do you feel about these questions? Would your colleagues agree? Where is the space for conversation, in line with your values and ways of working?
The smallest group support the unrest – around one in ten people, which also reflects the numbers who say they are ashamed that Britain is a multi-cultural society. This group is twice as likely as others to post about politics on social media.
Around a quarter of members of the British public have sympathy with the rioters' concerns but do not believe rioting and disorder are justified. These people may for example believe that the police treat ethnic minorities more favourably than white people. 23% of people say the riots are born out of “legitimate concerns”, 32% say the causes are far right ideology and 46% think they are driven by a desire to engage in violence.
73% of the public say the riots are shaming rather than standing up for Britain, and 87% believe that those cleaning up after the riots represent British values.
74% say that racism is a serious issue and 53% of Britons now say that the UK is an unsafe place for Muslims – a shocking number.
Research from the 2011 English riots suggests that strong community cohesion, a shared identity, community pride and a sense of having a stake in their neighbourhood stopped or reduced people rioting in their area. What can you as a business do to increase pride and a sense of belonging in the places where you are based and operate? Riots and social unrest are also connected to distrust and alienation. How can you contribute to rebuilding trust in business – which continues to reduce, according to the IBE’s Attitudes of the British Public to Business Ethics 2024 research.
Actions to consider:
- Help resist misinformation - can you promote trusted sources when misinformation about major national news is circulating online?
- Be clear that any statements or communications you make are based on your values.
- Think about how you can unify and bring together your colleagues.
- Prioritise the safety of those most affected – anyone living in or near an affected area, people of Muslim faith, others from ethnic minority backgrounds who are often assumed to be Muslims by racists, colleagues from a visible ethnic minority, asylum seekers and refugees, and those that work with them.
- How can you help? The government has called on insurance companies to act quickly on small business claims – are there other practical steps you can take?
- Review your diversity strategy in light of what we have learnt about attitudes to race in the UK through this experience.
- Consider how you can contribute to a shared sense of place, pride and belonging in the places where you operate.
Author
Rachael Saunders
Deputy Director
Rachael is Deputy Director of the Institute and is responsible for our research programme, and our advisory and training services. She is most interested in how research can generate insights that inspire action.
Rachael has collaborated with senior leaders across business, charities, communities, local and central government. After gaining her first degree in Politics and History from the University of Durham, and a Masters in Gender and Social Policy from the London School of Economics, Rachael worked in Westminster, then for Carers UK, for UNISON, the public sector trade union, and for the TUC, on skills policy. She was at Business in the Community for over ten years, as an expert in workplace diversity and then in education business partnerships. As a Director at BITC, she worked closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, the then Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and business leaders from Aviva, Barclays, Nationwide, UBS, McKinsey and many more. Her most recent role was on the SLT of Speakers for Schools as it scaled its delivery of opportunities for young people.
She has held a number of trustee roles including on the board of the Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, the Bromley by Bow Centre and East End Homes. She is currently chair of a charity called Sister System. She was an elected local councillor for ten years and served as leader of the Labour Group on Tower Hamlets Council. In 2019 Rachael gained an MSc from Birkbeck, University of London, in Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, with a dissertation focussed on how boards communicate their community engagement.