Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "disappointed" by a report into racial inequality, saying it was "reluctant" to admit problems.
The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which was created by Boris Johnson after the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, said there was no evidence of institutional racism in Britain, and that the country was a "beacon for other white-majority countries".
Speaking during a visit to Leeds, the Labour leader said: "I'm disappointed. On the one hand, there's an acknowledgement of the problems, the issues, the challenges that face many black and minority ethnic communities.
"But, on the other hand, there's a reluctance to accept that that's structural."
Fellow frontbencher Lisa Nandy said the Government must not "downplay" racism on the back of the report, but look to "take it on and deal with it".
Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, defended the report, telling Sky News "I doubt they [report authors] are complacent about what needs to be done now - the Government certainly isn't.
"We want to live in a country which is truly post racial, where everyone has a chance to succeed in life."
03:09 PM
That's all from us
We're going to leave the blog there for today. Join us again tomorrow morning for all the latest from Westminster.
In the meantime, here are our top politics stories:
European regulator says AstraZeneca vaccine is safe - again
The European Medicines Agency has said that there is no reason to restrict the usage of the AstraZeneca vaccine in any age group, after Angela Merkel said it would only be given to the over-60s in Germany.
"According to the current scientific knowledge, there is no evidence that would support restricting the use of this vaccine in any population," says Emer Cooke of the European Medicines Agency of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Nandy: Labour will make national security 'top priority'
Ms Nandy in the Commons with the Prime Minister earlier this month - JESSICA TAYLOR/REUTERS
A future Labour government will make national security its top priority as it seeks to rebuild relations with the EU while confronting Russian aggression, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy has said.
In a keynote address to the Chatham House international affairs think tank, Ms Nandy said that Labour in power would work with allies to strengthen democracy at home and defend it abroad.
She said the party would seek to build a relationship with the United States based on "areas of future co-operation not nostalgia", while taking a "values-based" approach to dealing with China.
In order to be successful, she stressed that any foreign policy had to serve the interests of the people of UK as she rejected the "uncritical embrace" of globalisation under Tony Blair's administration.
01:41 PM
Rule of six 'almost impossible to enforce', say police
Policing chiefs have warned ministers that the "Rule of Six" is virtually unenforceable because of the two-household concession.
Many threw caution to the wind on Tuesday as beaches, seafronts, parks and promenades were packed in Brighton, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham and London. In Birmingham, council teams suspended mowing across parks on Wednesday so they could focus on litter picking instead.
People enjoy the evening sunlight on Primrose Hill, north London, on Tuesday - Ian West/PA
"We made it very, very clear to Government that they have made it almost impossible to enforce the 'Rule of Six'," said a policing source privy to the discussions.
"It used to be relatively simple. As long as you can count to six, you can enforce it as seven is beyond the rule. Now you could have 26 people in a group, 13 from each household. That makes it very, very difficult. How do you prove that they don't live in the same house?"
01:13 PM
Labour: Government's race report is 'divisive polemic'
Shadow women and equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova labelled the report a "divisive polemic" that downplayed institutional racism. She said: "This report was an opportunity to seriously engage with the reality of inequality and institutional racism in the UK.
"Instead we have a divisive polemic which cherry-picks statistics.
"To downplay institutional racism in a pandemic where black, Asian and ethnic minority people have died disproportionately and are now twice as likely to be unemployed is an insult.
"The Government must urgently explain how they came to publish content which glorifies the slave trade and immediately disassociate themselves from these remarks."
She said a Labour government would introduce a race equality act "to end structural inequalities".
12:36 PM
Government committed to fairer Britain after race report, says PM
Boris Johnson - Hollie Adams/AFP
Following the publication of a report into racism in Britain, Boris Johnson said: "The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was launched to conduct a detailed, data-led examination of inequality across the entire population, and to set out a positive agenda for change.
"I want to thank Dr Tony Sewell and each of the commissioners for generously giving their time to lead this important piece of work.
"It is now right that the Government considers their recommendations in detail, and assesses the implications for future government policy.
"The entirety of government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking the action needed to address disparities wherever they exist."
12:08 PM
Sir Keir Starmer 'wouldn't buy shares in Deliveroo'
Sir Keir Starmer has weighed into Deliveroo's flop after its IPO, saying: "No, I wouldn't buy shares in Deliveroo.
"I accept the argument that we have got to have economic growth coming out of this pandemic, that is an absolute priority, but what we can't do is go back to the broken system that we had before.
"Insecure work, not proper pay, low standards. We need to have the ambition to go forward to an economy which is long term, high standards, high wage, with proper protection for those within the workforce.
"That has to be the ambition, it's a fork in the road really as we come out of this pandemic, very clearly we're not going back to that way of doing economics and running the economy. We've got to go forward to something which is long term, better and more secure."
(Incidentally Sir Kier had a run-in with Deliveroo at the end of last year, when he accidentally clipped one of the firm's couriers. No further action was taken).
Mr Prescott has a lot to live up to: in the 2019 election the Brexit Party received 25 per cent of the vote in Hartlepool.
He said: “It is an honour to be selected for this great little town. If elected I will be an independent voice for you in parliament.
"I will see it as my role to speak up for the ordinary people of this town, to stand up to the legacy two-party system. My job will take common sense to Westminster."
11:29 AM
Majority of Britons support vaccine passports - poll
The majority of Britons support vaccine passports, especially for travelling abroad or visiting care homes or hospitals, a poll has found.
Ipsos MORI found that 78 per cent of people supported vaccine passports for foreign travel, 74 per cent for hospital visits and 62 per cent for eating in a pub or restaurant.
Two thirds would require a jab for teachers, NHS workers, hospitality staff and supermarket workers.
Just 22 per cent think that any ethical or legal concerns outweigh the benefits.
11:10 AM
System 'not deliberately rigged' against ethnic minorities
A foreword to the diversity report by chairman Tony Sewell said evidence had found that factors such as geography and socio-economic background had "more significant impact" on life chances than the existence of racism.
"Put simply, we no longer see a Britain where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities," the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report said.
"The impediments and disparities do exist, they are varied, and ironically very few of them are directly to do with racism.
"Too often 'racism' is the catch-all explanation and can be simply implicitly accepted rather than explicitly examined.
"The evidence shows that geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion have more significant impact on life chances than the existence of racism.
"That said, we take the reality of racism seriously and we do not deny that it is a real force in the UK."
10:42 AM
Labour loses court battle to get Scottish leader's name on ballot papers
The Labour Party has lost a last-minute bid to have Anas Sarwar's name included on ballot papers for the Scottish election.
The party took legal action against the Electoral Commission over what it said was the refusal to allow the slogan "Anas Sarwar - Labour's National Recovery Plan" to be on regional list ballots for the May 6 poll.
Earlier this month, Labour applied to have a description featuring its Scottish leader's name and an election slogan featured on ballot papers.
But last week the Electoral Commission said it could not deal with the application in time for the description to be included on ballots.
At a remote High Court hearing on Tuesday, Labour said refusing to include the slogan on regional list ballots would cause it "an unfair electoral disadvantage".
The party argued it would face "a situation where other parties, but not it, can use ballot paper descriptions that refer to their current leaders and/or up-to-date campaign straplines".
But the Electoral Commission said all applications to register a description had to be "considered by the Electoral Commission's internal approval board and published for public consultation" before they could be determined.
It also said Labour made its application "very late" and the party should not be "pushed up the queue" ahead of other applicants.
In a ruling on Wednesday, Mrs Justice Ellenbogen refused to grant Labour an order requiring the Electoral Commission to make a decision on its application before the deadline for delivering nominations later the same day.
The judge said doing so would cause prejudice to "other applicants, the electorate and the defendant's independence from political pressure".
She ruled the Electoral Commission had not refused Labour's application, but that its response had simply been to follow "its standard process".
The judge also rejected Labour's contention that it would be caused "substantial prejudice" by not having Mr Sarwar's name on the ballot papers.
10:30 AM
Malta to allow vaccinated British tourists for summer holidays
Malta has become the latest country to announce it will welcome the return of British tourists this summer.
The small island nation in the Mediterranean said UK travellers who have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be allowed to enter from June 1.
Passengers will need to show their vaccination card before boarding flights, according to the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), with non-vaccinated travellers banned from entering.
Tolene Van Der Merwe, director for the UK and Ireland at MTA, said: "We are excited to welcome back fully vaccinated travellers from the United Kingdom from 1 June. The people of Malta are looking forward to tourists returning who have loved our sunshine, culture, food and warm spirit year in, year out."
Malta is second to the UK in terms of European countries which have vaccinated the largest proportion of their population.
How many people have been vaccinated in Malta?
10:28 AM
Race report makes 'no attempt' to address structural racism, charity claims
The Institute for Race Relations has said there is "no attempt" to address structural racism within the Government-commissioned report published today.
In a statement, the charity said the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities's report "fits neatly with the Government’s attempts, post-Brexit, to portray the British nation as a beacon of good race relations and a diversity model".
The statement adds: "While much is made of the differences between communities, primarily in educational attainment and elite employment, we can see no attempt here to address the common ethnic minority experience of structural racism within areas such as the criminal justice system."
The emphasis on abuse online is part of a "wider drift in British politics and society away from understanding racism in terms of structural factors and locating it instead in prejudice and bigotry."
10:23 AM
Race disparity report is a 'monumental missed opportunity', says former commissioner
Lord Simon Woolley has said the race disparity report was a "monumental missed opportunity" to address racial inequailty in Britain.
The former race commissioner told Sky News that today's report could have set out ways to " radically transform our society from a poor place in terms of race inequality to a very good place".
The Labour peer pointed to the "double pandemic" that was affecting minorities, citing the "devastating" health outcomes for black and ethnic minority groups alongside the widespread Black Lives Matter protests last summer.
"We should confront it, acknowledge it and close the deep seated inequality," he added.
"This is not just building back better, but building new better... instead we are in denial: you change nothing and you miss a historic opportunity."
The country needs a "1945 moment", he added, saying: "Something is wrong, we need a grand plan."
10:17 AM
Labour leader calls for inquiry into David Cameron's 'murky' links with Greensill
David Cameron has been under fire for his relationship with Lex Greensill - PA
Sir Keir Starmer has renewed his calls for an inquiry into claims former prime minister David Cameron used his contacts to lobby for support for Greensill Capital.
The Labour leader said: "Every day this gets more murky and cronyism is the only real word now for what we're seeing. I think in light of the latest developments, it's time for that inquiry.
"I think the cabinet secretary needs to look at this again in the round and I also think it's time for David Cameron to come out of hiding and start answering some questions."
He added: "There's got to be an inquiry, I don't think we can have these daily revelations, we've had connections with Downing Street, we've had access, we've had arrangements for money, this is becoming more and more murky."
10:09 AM
Sir Keir Starmer calls for race equality act
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer visits the Leeds United Foundation - Getty
Sir Keir Starmer has called on the Government to bring forward a full race equality act, saying there had been "report after report" on the issue.
The Labour leader told reporters: "We have seen the disproportionate impact on black and minority ethnic communities of the pandemic.
"I think what we now need to see is a proper acknowledgement of the depth of that, the structural nature of that, but, most of all, to act on the very many recommendations that we've had for many years, whether that's in the business community, at board level, in criminal justice, on the pandemic.
"I think, in the end, what we need is a race equality act, which is what the Labour Party is committed to."
09:53 AM
Race report 'reluctant' to admit structural issues, says Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer during his visit to Leeds - Getty
Sir Keir Starmer said he was "disappointed" by the findings from the report published so far, insisting there were structural problems that needed to be addressed.
The Labour leader told reporters on a visit in Leeds: "I haven't seen the full report yet and, obviously, I'll want to read that. I've seen the briefings out of it and I'm disappointed.
"On the one hand, there's an acknowledgement of the problems, the issues, the challenges that face many black and minority ethnic communities.
"But, on the other hand, there's a reluctance to accept that that's structural."
09:51 AM
Union accuses Government of 'gaslighting' black people with 'cynical' report
The GMB union has accused the Government of "gaslighting" black and ethnic minorities, after the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report described Britain as a "beacon" for other countries.
Rehana Azam, the union’s national secretary for public services, said: "Only this Government could produce a report on race in the 21st century that actually gaslights black, Asian and minority ethnic people and communities.
"This feels like a deeply cynical report that not only ignores black and ethnic minority workers’ worries and concerns. But it is part of an election strategy to divide working class people and voters. It’s completely irresponsible and immoral.
"Institutional racism exists, it’s the lived experience of millions of black and ethnic minority workers. We’re paid less, we’re more likely to be in high-risk jobs during the pandemic, we’re more likely to die from Covid, we’re more likely to be stopped and searched, to be arrested and to go to prison."
09:47 AM
Sir Keir Starmer visits Elland Road as part of Leeds tour
Sir Keir Starmer is continuing his tour of Britain ahead of the local elections by visiting Leeds today, along with West Yorkshire mayoral candidate and MP Tracy Brabin.
The Labour leader attended the workshops organised by the Leeds United Foundation to see first-hand the serious violence reduction work being done in the area.
Sir Keir Starmer is given a tour of the ground by John Mallalieu, Chief Executive of the Leeds United Foundation - Getty
09:27 AM
Brussels tries to freeze UK out of quantum and space projects
Brussels has moved to freeze British companies and researchers out of major quantum and space research projects, amid fears they could pass on trade secrets to non-EU powers.
The UK negotiated associate membership of the flagship Horizon Europe research programme after Brexit but the European Commission only wants EU members to be able to participate in the sensitive sectors.
The commission said the move, which also affects Israel and Switzerland, was necessary because of the sector’s “global strategic importance”. Quantum involves superfast computers and has uses in security and defence.
Emmanuel Macron to address nation as Covid cases surge
French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation at 6pm - Reuters
Emmanuel Macron will make a prime-time television address Wednesday, under pressure to stem soaring Covid-19 cases and respond to criticism that he has allowed the pandemic to run out of control.
However daily cases have neared 40,000, while hospitals in infection hotspots like Paris are overflowing,
He will address the nation at 8pm (6pm GMT) following a weekly meeting of top cabinet ministers, with several options reportedly under consideration including the much-resisted national lockdown.
Other more likely choices include a further tightening of measures in the worst-hit areas, including the closure of schools, and a widening of restrictions to cover more parts of France.
09:10 AM
BBC journalist forced to leave China after intimidation 'intensifies'
Threats from the Chinese authorities have forced the BBC's correspondent John Sudworth to flee to Taiwan.
Mr Sudworth said he had faced surveillance, obstruction and intimidation as he reported on issues including human rights abuses in Xinjiang province and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
The BBC said he had "exposed truths the Chinese authorities did not want the world to know" and he would continue his work as China correspondent from Taiwan.
Mr Sudworth told BBC Radio 4's Today: "Over the last few years the pressure and threats from the Chinese authorities as a result of my reporting here have been pretty constant. But in recent months they have intensified.
"The BBC has faced a full-on propaganda attack not just aimed at the organisation itself but at me personally, across multiple Communist-party controlled platforms."
The decision that it was "just too risky" was "sadly precisely the point of that kind of intimidation," he added.
09:05 AM
Labour calls on Boris Johnson to correct the record over Jennifer Arcuri
Jennifer Arcuri told The Mirror she slept with Boris Johnson in his family home while his wife Marina Wheeler was away, - Getty
Labour’s deputy leader has called on Boris Johnson to correct the record after Downing Street said an inquiry had ruled that claims regarding a potential breach of the rules regarding Jennifer Arcuri were "untrue and unfounded".
In an open letter to the Prime Minister, Angela Rayner writes:
The IOPC’s report does not include the phrase “untrue and unfounded”. Acting with integrity and honesty, as your press secretary claims you have always done in this matter, would mean that you should be happy to correct the record.Following the handing of £2 billion of taxpayers’ money in government contracts to donors and friends of the Conservative Party during the Coronavirus pandemic, there is significant and justified public concern regarding cronyism and special treatment for people with close relationships with and links to the Conservative Party and Ministers when it comes to public money and preferential treatment and access... It is vital to ensure complete probity in all matters relating to the distribution of taxpayers’ money, and I would urge you to take urgent steps to assure the British people that there was no special or preferential treatment on your part in the awarding of public grants or preferential access to Jennifer Arcuri.
08:51 AM
Have your say: Is Britain really a 'beacon' for other countries on racism?
The Government is facing a huge backlash from charities and opposition MPs today, after a report concluded that social class and family may play a larger factor than race when it comes to inequality.
The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, set up after Black Lives Matter protests, said the success of ethnic minorities in education and the economy should be a “beacon” for other white-majority countries.
But Labour has warned that this risks "downplaying" issues that have come to the fore during the pandemic, including health outcomes and financial insecurity. The head of race think tank the Runnymede Trust said she felt "deeply let down", and suggested the conclusion had been pre-determined, while an independent MP said it was "a slap in the face".
But what do you think? Have your say in the poll below.
08:39 AM
Race report 'a slap in the face', says MP
An independent MP has said the findings of the racial disparity report are a "slap in the face".
Claudia Webbe, who was elected as a Labour MP in 2019 but suspended last year after being charged with harassment of a woman, posted her comments on Twitter along with a screengrab of an article.
Home Secretary to determine next steps after report on policing of Sarah Everard vigil
Priti Patel will decide whether further action is needed following HM Inspector of Constabulary's report into the policing of the vigil for Sarah Everard on Clapham Common, a Cabinet colleague has said.
"As I understand it, the report acknowledges that those scenes and the way in which some women were treated on the evening have harmed trust in the police and in law enforcement," Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told ITV's Good Morning Britain.
"No-one wants to turn on the TV and see scenes like that, and imagine that was you or your wife or a member of your family being treated in that manner.
"It also draws out that you shouldn't rush to judgment on the basis of the scenes of how a small number were treated versus the totality of the policing of the event during the course of the day.
"It is really for the Home Secretary to digest the report and to think carefully about whether further steps are needed nationally."
08:25 AM
Race report 'not a blanket condemnation' of Britain, says commission member
The director of Voice4Change England has said the report makes no "blanket condemnation" of Britain, but it would be "foolish" to say we are living in a post-racial society.
Kunle Olulode told Sky News: "On the question of institutional racism, I think it depends where you look. That's always my response to these things.
"It's not a blanket condemnation of the country, but at the same time we would be foolish just to say that we're living in a post-racial society in which race is not a factor."
He said in relation to the economy - an area of the report he was involved in looking at - "there are things that actually have been persistent and they are, to a degree, structural".
He added: "But that's not the case in every aspect of British society. On the whole there's been immense progress in many areas."
08:23 AM
Read race disparity report before 'making snap judgments' , says commission member
The director of Voice4Change England has urged people to "read the entire report before making snap judgments", amid a growing backlash over the conclusion that Britain is not institutionally racist.
Kunle Olulode a co-opted member of the commission, said the landmark report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities includes examples of progress but also "disturbing" points which need to be addressed.
He told Sky News: "People need to read the entire report before making snap judgments. There are aspects of the report that I think lend itself to demonstrating that we have made huge strides and progress over the last 50 years.
"But there are also disturbing points within the report that I think need further exploration and certainly need to be addressed."
In particular, he pointed to the fact that unemployment levels "for people from ethnic backgrounds are still three times higher", adding: "It's much more of a mixed bag than has been presented at the moment."
08:18 AM
Enjoy freedoms sensibly in sunny weather, says Communities Secretary
Robert Jenrick has urged people to enjoy the latest easing of lockdown restrictions in England in a "sensible, cautious" manner, as temperatures are set to soar again today.
The Communities Secretary told ITV's Good Morning Britain the country remains on course to go ahead with the next stages of lockdown easing in England as set out in the Government's road map.
"What we hope and expect to happen is that we can continue moving forwards through the road map and that this will be an irreversible opening up of society and the economy," he said.
"The Prime Minister has said that everything we have learned over the course of the last year means that there are no absolute guarantees, but there is no evidence today to suggest that we are off track, that we won't be able to move forwards with the road map and meet the targets we have set ourselves."
Weather forecast | Wednesday 31 March
08:16 AM
Duchess of Cambridge was 'working' when she paid tribute to Sarah Everard
Dame Cressida Dick has defended the Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Sarah Everard's vigil, saying it was "very calm" at the time she went.
The Met Police Commissioner told the Today programme: "The Met did know, absolutely, but of course we take all sorts of precautions to make sure that we don't unwittingly draw attention to visits like that."
Asked if her visit was legal, the Met's Commissioner replied: "I would imagine that, of course I have not asked her this question, but I think it's worth looking at ... just how strongly people felt, what she said about her attendance there. She's in the course of her duties, she was working."
She added: "At that point people had a whole series of potential reasonable excuses for being away from home, we didn't all have them.
"I've picked out one that may apply to her but, let's be clear, there was a very calm vigil to which she attended where lots and lots of people came."
08:14 AM
Met Police force will consider whether 'we lacked empathy' during Sarah Everard vigil
Dame Cressida Dick said the force will consider whether it "lacked empathy" in the communications after the vigil for Sarah Everard.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner told the Today programme: "The report suggests that if we had been slightly more conciliatory, I think was the word, in our communications afterwards, then that might have helped with what I think is in modern-day parlance a kind of social media pile-on."
Asked if she accepted that, she said: "We have to go away and think about that, of course we do. We have to see whether ... we lacked empathy."
08:12 AM
Politicians 'should stop and think before they judge', says Dame Cressida Dick
Sadiq Khan and Priti Patel were critical of policing during the vigil - PA
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said some people had spoken out in the immediate aftermath of the Clapham Common vigil "without knowing the facts".
A report published yesterday exonerated officers’ use of force, instead denouncing politicians who criticised the force. Both Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, had spoken out about the heavy-handed tactics.
But Dame Cressida Dick told the BBC Radio Four Today programme the report suggested "that people in public life, people in responsible positions, should stop and think before they judge, whoever they may be."
She added: "People should stop and think, because if they comment without knowing the facts, they may - and I would suggest on this occasion some people did - affect public confidence in their police service inappropriately."
Police officers confidence would be affected "if they are actually going to be criticised even when they've done a really good job", she added.
08:03 AM
Runnymede Trust boss 'deeply let down' by race report
The report was commissioned following the Black Lives Matter protests last year - AFP
The head of the UK's leading independent race equality think tank has said she feels "deeply, massively let down" by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities' report, which will be published today.
Dr Halima Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, told PA news agency she does not feel the Government has the confidence of black and minority ethnic communities.
Asked about the report's finding, that Britain is not institutionally racist, she said: "Tell that to the black young mother who is four times more likely to die in childbirth than her young white neighbour, tell that to the 60 per cent of NHS doctors and nurses who died from Covid and were black and ethnic minority workers.
"You can't tell them that, because they are dead.
"Institutionally, we are still racist, and for a Government-appointed commission to look into (institutional) racism, to deny its existence is deeply, deeply worrying."
08:01 AM
Tackling race disparity must focus on 'trajectory' from school to workplace, says Tony Sewell
The chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has said the report has "gone upstream" to find out why black people are not attaining in the workplace.
Tony Sewell told Radio 4's Today programme that Britain's education system was not institutionally racism, but that the report was looking at "what kind of advice black youngsters were getting" and the "pressure points to make decisions about their future".
The focus should be on "changing that trajectory" from school to the workplace.
He rejected suggestions that the report had been commissioned with a positive outcome in mind, saying: "We have got some very focused recommendations on changing the whole landscape for ethnic minorities - that is the key thing, it is strategy. Who do you trust, promoting fairness, achieving agency and inclusivity."
"We have to look at some of the more complex issues around why those young people aren't getting jobs
07:27 AM
'No one denies racism exists in Britain', says commission head Tony Sewell
The chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has stressed that "no one denies" racism exists within Britain, amid a backlash over suggestions it plays down the issue.
"No one in the report is saying racism doesn't exist... however what we did find is the evidence that actual institutional racism, we didn't find that," Tony Sewell told Radio 4's Today programme.
"What we did find is that the term is sometimes wrongly applied, a kind of catch all phase fro micro-aggressions or acts of racial abuse and use it interchangably... they just use it wrongly.
"We want to protect the term," he added. "Where there is a robust assessment and evidence then apply it."
Taking the education system as an example, he said the "vast majority of ethnic minorities, bar black Caribbean, are actually doing better than the white minority. You can't go ahead and willy-nilly declare yourself institutionally racist."
07:21 AM
Do not 'downplay' racism - but deal with it - Labour tells Government
Lisa Nandy said the Government must not 'downplay' racism - Getty
A Labour frontbencher has said the Government must not "downplay" racism, but look to "take it on and deal with it", ahead of the publication of a race disparity report.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy, who is herself mixed race, told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "What I'd really like to see from the report is a recognition that we've had report after report after report, but very little action has been taken.
"At a time when black Caribbean children are three and a half more times likely to be excluded from school than their white counterparts, when black children are four times more likely to be arrested, we have got a problem and we've got to deal with it.
"We shouldn't seek to downplay structural racism, we should seek to take it on and deal with it.
"I'm making a speech later today about what it means to be patriotic, it isn't simply about waving a flag - although I'm very proud to do so - it's about raising up the standards that we have for people in this country and giving people the ability to live large, rich, dignified, brilliant lives in this country."
07:19 AM
Government '100pc confident' in AstraZeneca vaccine as Germany pulls jab again
The Government is "100 per cent confident" in the AstraZeneca vaccine, a senior minister has said, after Germany pulled the jab once again.
The country's vaccine committee, known as STIKO, yesterday recommended suspending the use of the vaccine in people under the age of 60 over concerns it may cause potentially fatal blood clots. Germany had initially banned the use of the vaccine for over-65s, citing a lack of data on its effectiveness in that age group.
Asked if this would have any bearing on the UK's rollout, Robert Jenrick told Sky News "no".
The Communities Secretary said "We are 100 per cent confident in the efficacy of the vaccine, which has been borne out by study after study.
He added: "Thousands of people's lives have been saved since the start of this year thanks to the vaccine programme.
"I urge people to keep coming forward to have it - I certainly will when my time comes.
"It is a safe vaccine and the UK vaccine rollout is saving people's lives right across the country every single day."
07:08 AM
High streets facing biggest challenge since Second World War, says Communities Secretary
Britain's high streets are facing their "biggest challenge since the Second World War", the Communities Secretary has said, as he unveils plans to make planning changes easier.
The Government will today lay down new planning rules allowing the conversion of a vast array of high street premises in to housing without planning permission.
Speaking to Sky News about these changes, Robert Jenrick said the "new freedoms" would create a "successful mixed-use economy".
He added: "The high street is facing a huge challenge -probably the biggest challenge since the Second World War.
"You can’t stick your head in the sand at a time like this."
06:54 AM
'Far more to do' on sex culture, says former minister
Signs outside James Allen's Girls' School, in south east London, in the aftermath of allegations of rape culture - PA
A former ministers has said there is "far more to do" and issues of abuse need to be tackled in schools, which she said is the first place where young people often experience sexual harassment.
Conservative MP Maria Miller, former culture secretary and one-time chairwoman of the women and equalities committee, told BBC Breakfast: "If we don't tackle it in our schools, we leave young people leaving school thinking that it is entirely right that they're able to either sexually harass or to be on the receiving end of sexual harassment, and that's why we're seeing these behaviours going into our universities, into our workplace, and beyond.
"We really need to get it right in schools."
She added: "We're taking some steps in the right direction with sex and relationship education being made mandatory, but there's far more to do."
06:44 AM
UK economy suffered steeper contraction than thought - but bounced back more
The UK economy suffered a steeper contraction during the first coronavirus lockdown but bounced back more strongly than previously thought at the end of 2020, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) - a measure of the size of the economy - shrank by even more than first forecast between April and June last year - plummeting by 19.5 per cent against the 19 per cent initial estimate.
However, in a raft of revisions to previous figures, the ONS said the economy rebounded by 16.9 per cent and 1.3 per cent in the third and fourth quarters of 2020 respectively. This marked steep increases on the 16.1 per cent and one per cent previous estimates.
The widespread revisions left GDP plummeting by 9.8 per cent overall in 2020, against the 9.9 per cent first pencilled in, but still the worst annual performance for more than 300 years.
06:42 AM
Scotland spending 30pc more per person than England
Nicola Sturgeon's spending on Scottish public services is 30 per cent greater than the equivalent funding in England thanks to the Barnett formula, according to a study published on Wednesday.
The impartial Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found a growing cross-Border spending gap, with the SNP administration in Edinburgh having more than £1.30 per person to spend on public services for every £1 in England.
Almost all of this difference - 28.9p out of 30.6p - comes from the Scottish Government's block grant from the UK Treasury, which is calculated using the controversial Barnett formula.
In addition, the report found Ms Sturgeon's government will "almost certainly" receive more funding per person to tackle the Covid pandemic than is being spent in England.
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