Minister reports ‘no concern’ over community tensions

David Blunkett, the former Labour Home Secretary and MP for Sheffield Brightside, caused headlines last month when he said tensions between local people and Roma immigrants were headed for an “explosion”.

But speaking before a Commons select committee this week, the newly-appointed Communities Minister Stephen Williams said he has been in touch with Sheffield City Council and other local figures, and that he is confident there is no cause for concern.

“The department has been talking to Sheffield Council and other leaders on the ground to assess the situation, and keep in touch with what’s going on there,” Mr Williams said. “At the moment we are not detecting any reason for concern for any outbreak of community tension - but obviously it’s something we keep constantly under review.”

Mr Blunkett said last month he feared a repeat of the violence that erupted between white and Asian youths in Bradford in 2001 if new Roma immigrants in Sheffield did not adapt their behaviour.

“We have got to change the behaviour and the culture of the incoming community, the Roma community, because there’s going to be an explosion otherwise,” Mr Blunkett said. “We all know that.

“More recent Roma migrants... carry the double burden of both a tough, discriminatory environment in countries of origin, and the winds of austerity and hostility in the UK.

“If everything exploded, if things went really wrong, the community would obviously be devastated.”

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Sheffield Hallam, said later he believed Mr Blunkett has “every reason to be concerned”, adding: “There is a real dilemma... when you get communities coming into a part of our country and then they behave in a way that people find quite difficult to accept - sometimes intimidating, sometimes offensive.”

Mr Williams acknowledged the mounting pressure on his Department for Communities and Local Government to respond.

“Interest comes across this issue from many quarters,” he said.

“David Blunkett has asked for a meeting with me. We’re trying to find accommodation in our diaries for that at the moment.”