The weirdness of racism rows in the Metropolitan Police

Today we have the latest BME person in the Met police of massive seniority getting all upset because he thinks he is being discriminated against on a grounds of race, and on a personal basis by Sir ian Blair. Tarique Ghaffur, the person in question, is the Met’s third most senior officer.

Article from the Guardian newspaper on the matter —>> here.

This isn’t  exactly a million years since the last person of non-white descent made accusations against his force. Ali Dizaei for instance, was convinced his career was stymied by racists and institutional racism.

I find the whole concept of accusing the organisation you work for of racism quite fascinating. I checked out the Equality and Human Rights Commission website and they have a section which explains all about race discrimination, what it is and how it becomes manifest.

A particular section on the site, which explains to us lesser mortals what it means to be racist, because we can’t figure out such hallowed definitions ourselves without reference to a state funded body’s policy package, is helpful in so far as we are able to assess the modern definition of what crosses the line.

“Direct racial discrimination

This occurs when you are able to show that you have been treated less favourably on racial grounds than others in similar circumstances. To prove this, it will help if you can give an example of someone from a different racial group who, in similar circumstances, has been, or would have been, treated more favourably than you.”

Nope. Still don’t see how seeing someone of a different race, say, getting a promotion over you or moving in a certain career direction, can be evidence of racial discrimination.

Let’s have a closer look at the Ghaffur example, with an excerpt from the Guardian piece:

“Assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, the third most senior officer at Scotland Yard, today accused the Met of discriminating against him ”over a long period of time” and sidelining him in his role heading the security of the London Olympics.

Ghaffur, the third most senior officer at Scotland Yard, has filed an employment tribunal claim against the Metropolitan police and its commissioner, Sir Ian, in which the evidence he says he has compiled over the past eight years will be examined.”

Of course, I have no way of knowing what this 8 year dossier contains, and it is evident that there is a history of complaints of racism against the Met by high profile black and ethnic minority figures. But somehow, logically speaking, I can’t quite see it. I am just not convinced that there is this big racist conspiracy or endemic racism problem in the capital’s police force.

Looking at Ghaffur’s example of the Olympics asssignment, it comes across as an example of where someone has been tactfully removed from a management postion, because they are not considered up to it.

I look at my experiences in the work place, and I have countless examples of where senior managers have allowed their massive egos to get the better of them and for pride and vanity to take over their senses. There’s nothing more upsetting to a senior manager (who are almost always useless, backstabbing and incompetent) than being moved aside for another candidate to take the reins.

I of course have no way of knowing whether this applies to Ghaffur, but my observation is valid. And what of the official definition of racial discrimination? Can this really work? What if the black or asian person who feels aggrieved is simply not good enough? He or she will still be able to conjur the required evidence, even though race might not have anything to do with it.

I can see how someone with a remit, who is senior, and who is removed from that remit or sees that remit watered down, may see this as fitting a wider pattern and then place the accusation of racism at the door of the boss. It seems very difficult, as an ill-informed observer as most people inevitably are, to be sure that racism is the cause.

And let’s face it, Ian Blair does have a fairly decent track record on diversity and race equality. There’s no dirt on his name as yet.

I think it’s important to bear in mind the factors that play into these big racism mud slinging rows. Senior managers and figures, with massive egos and expectations, and a degree of paranoia, who can’t take it when things don’t go their way. It could be the case that incidents such as this are more down to tussling egos and office politics and power struggles in the workplace than they are to do with racism.