The ‘Sewell’ Race Report: Five Years On

The ‘Sewell’ Race Report: Five Years On

In March 2021, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities published its landmark report into race and inequality in Britain.

Chaired by Lord Tony Sewell, the Commission was tasked with examining the role of ethnicity in driving disparities in life outcomes across the UK. Its findings challenged prevailing narratives and reframed the debate: rather than widespread racism, the findings identified class, family structure, geography and personal agency in being largely responsible for life outcomes.

The publication prompted significant national controversy and remains one of the most debated public policy documents of recent years.

Five years on, the CSJ is convening a high-level panel to reflect on the Commission’s legacy and to ask: what is the legacy of the Report? Have we accepted the importance of class and family in determining life outcomes? How should we think about and address disadvantage in 2026?

Speakers