Britain today is more tolerant than in 1970 but society is still not fair for many people as ethnic minorities,women and poor continue to face significant disadvantages,a report said. The 700-page report 'How Fair is Britain?' stated that economic crisis and the Government's proposed spending cuts threaten to make the inequality worse. According to the report,half of Muslim men and three quarters of Muslim women in the country are unemployed. The white working classes are missing out on good jobs compared with other ethnic groups,with Indians and Chinese men nearly twice as likely to find professional work. It said the country has a strong sense of tolerance and fair play. However,racism and religious prejudice are increasing,while hostility towards immigration has grown. "We are a people who have moved light years in our attitudes to all kinds of human difference. But we are still a country where our achievements haven't yet caught up with our aspirations," Trevor Phillips,chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission,who compiled the report said. The looming crisis in care for the elderly causes the watchdog the most acute concern with millions in the "sandwich generation" having to look after their parents while still caring for their children. The number of pensioners and other adults who still need informal care from their families is expected to increase by 90 per cent in the next 30 years. The burden will fall mainly on the middle-aged who are trying to juggle work with raising children,and providing an estimated 1.3 million elderly relatives with informal care. The report called for people to be given greater financial support by government.
