Trevor Phillips
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Trevor Phillips OBE (born in London on December 31, 1953) is a Black British Labour politician and former political journalist of Guyanese origins. After supporting multiculturalism for many years, Phillips is now one of its most outspoken mainstream critics. He expressed fears that multiculturalism could cause Britain to "sleepwalk towards segregation" [1] and has argued for school selection to be amended to prevent segregation in British schools. [2].
In 2006 he was appointed the head of a new organisation known as the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights, which will be an organisation promoting equality issues across the full raft of ethnic, gender, sexual-orientation, disability and other minority interests. [3]
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[edit] Early life
Phillips was born in London but went to secondary school in Georgetown, Guyana before returning to London to study chemistry at Imperial College London, where he became president of the students' union before his election as president of the National Union of Students in 1978 as a candidate for the Broad Left. He has had a varied career in both media and politics, working initially as a researcher for London Weekend Television (LWT), before being promoted to head of current affairs. He produced and presented The London Programme and has worked on projects for the BBC. With his brother, the crime writer Mike Phillips, he wrote Windrush: Irresistible Rise of Multi-racial Britain (1998, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-255909-9).
[edit] Political activity
Philips has always been close to the New Labour project. He is a friend on Tony Blair, and Peter Mandleson was at university with him. Madleson went on to be best man at Philips' wedding. He joined the Labour Party in London shortly before a failed campaign as mayoral candidate and before being elected to the London Assembly on 4 May 2000. He served as chair of the Greater London Assembly until February 2003, before resigning his seat to take up his current appointment. He has campaigned on equality issues throughout his career and has made a significant contribution to the voluntary sector. He has been chair of the Runnymede Trust and commissioner for a number of other charities. Tevor Phillips started school in London England. Trevor attended Alexandra Junior School, Western Road, Wood Green, London until June 1964.(see Friends United website under Alexandra Junior school heading) He (passed his 11+/ or was selected) then attended Wood Green Grammar School, White Hart Lane, Wood Green, London N22. Until the school was re organised as a comprehensive, when he left to attend Queen's College,(the Guyanese Eton) until age of 18 when came back to England to study chemistry at Imperial College, University of London. After left Imperial College, Trevor got involved in student politics and the became the first black head of the National Union of Students.
[edit] Multiculturalism: disagreements with Ken Livingstone
In 2006 the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone criticised Phillips views on multiculturalism stating Phillips was "pandering to the right" so much that the black chairman of the CRE "would soon join the BNP"[4]. Phillips himself replied that his views had been "well documented" and "well supported". Phillips has made speeches stating that "it was right to ask hard questions about multicultural Britain". Although he appologised for his misuse of statistics on levels of segregation he welcomed the focus on integration of different communities after the launch of A Commission for Integration and Cohesion [5].
[edit] Views on Islam and free speech
Trevor Phillips has spoken on the need for free speech to "allow people to offend each other." [6] These comments came after the protests against the Danish cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad which sparked protests in the Muslim world. He stated in an ITV interview: "One point of Britishness is that people can say what they like about the way we should live, however absurd, however unpopular it is."
[edit] Row over Muslim women wearing veils
He appealed for calm at the weekend of October 21, 2006, warning that the controversy risked triggering race riots like those in the north of England in 2001.[7]
See also United Kingdom debate over veils
[edit] 2005 French rioting
- After the 2005 riots in France Phillips warned that "inequality, race and powerlessness" can be "incendiary".
[edit] Trivia
- Phillips is a life-long Chelsea fan.
[edit] External links
