| 1933 | Flow of (mostly) Jewish refugees from Nazis begins |
| 1938 | British Medical Association objects to the number of Jewish doctors arriving in Britain |
| 1945 | Second World War ends
Government (Labour) attempts to send back wartime workers to colonies
Substantial flow of immigrants from Ireland |
| 1947 | Polish people homeless because of the War, invited to come to UK |
| 1948 | British Nationality Act, gave citizenship to people from ex-colonies
First immigrant ships arrive from the Caribbean |
| 1949 | Royal Commission on Population report, argues that immigrants should be encouraged only if they are of "good human stock" |
| 1950 | Private member's bill to outlaw racial discrimination fails to be passed (Labour govt) |
| 1951 | Conservatives win election
United Nations Convention |
| 1952 | USA: new law restricts immigration from Caribbean to USA |
| 1954 | Law to limit immigration to UK considered but not presented to parliament |
| 1956 | Private Member's Bill to outlaw racial discrimination in public places fails to be passed (Conservative govt) |
| 1958 | Street violence against black people in Nottingham and Notting Hill |
| 1959 | Conservatives win election |
| 1960 | Birmingham Immigration Control Association set up (pressure group against immigration) |
| 1961 | Campaign for immigration control contributes to large rise in immigration to 'beat the ban' |
| 1962 | Commonwealth Immigrants Act (Conservative govt), immigrants needed employment voucher to get in |
| 1964 | Labour win election (though a Conservative wins Smethwick (Birmingham) using slogan "Nigger for your neighbour? Vote Labour"
Labour government renews immigration control |
| 1965 | Reduction in annual number of entry vouchers to 8500, 1000 of these are given to Malta (Labour govt)
Race Relations Act makes some discrimination unlawful |
| 1966 | Labour wins election
First national report on extent of racial discrimination |
| 1967 | National Front founded
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants established |
| 1968 | Commonwealth Immigrants Act passed to control entry of refugee Asians from East African
Enoch Powell (Conservative) makes speech saying immigration will cause "river of blood" in UK
New Race Relations Act outlaws discrimination in employment and housing
Parliamentary Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration established |
| 1969 | Major survey of British race relations published |
| 1970 | Conservatives win election |
| 1971 | New immigration Act replaces acts of 1962 and 1968, tightens controls
Home Office sets up its own race relations research unit |
| 1972 | Asians expelled from Uganda; 27000 admitted to UK |
| 1973 | National Front obtains 16.3% of vote at West Bromwich by-election in May |
| 1974 | Labour win election
Second national report on extent of racial discrimination and disadvantage |
| 1976 | New Race Relations Act - Commission for Racial Equality established
Rise in support for National Front in May elections, but no seats won
Notting Hill carnival involves clashes between young blacks and the police |
| 1977 | National Front increases activity in by-elections and confrontational marches, comes third placing in 2 places |
| 1978 | Mrs Thatcher's says people may feel "swamped" by immigrants of another culture
Conservatives propose tougher immigration legislation |
| 1979 | Conservatives win election
National Front fragments after disastrous election results |
| 1980 | Select Committee recommends repeal of 'Sus' stop and search law
Street disturbances in Bristol after police raid on cafe in St. Paul's |
| 1981 | Nationality Act passed. Inner-city riots in Brixton, Toxteth and elsewhere
Select committee report on racial disadvantage
Lord Scarman's official report on cause of riots says too much discrimination
First Home Office report on racial attacks suffered by minorities |
| 1983 | Conservatives win election |
| 1985 | Riot in Handsworth (Birmingham) two shopkeepers die in fire
Riot in Broadwater Farm (London), policeman murdered |
| 1986 | Visa controls imposed on visitors from India, Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan and Bangladesh
Second Home Office report on racial attacks
Immigration Act, controls tightened |
| 1987 | Conservatives win election
Four black/Asian Labour MPs |
| 1988 | Immigration Act, controls tightened |
| 1989 | Death sentence passed by leader of Iran on British writer Salman Rushdie, for offending Muslims in a book
Government (Conservative) grants citizenship to 225,000 people from Hong Kong, mostly Chinese |
| 1990 | British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act, limits numbers that can come to UK
European Parliament report on racism
Nottinghamshire police found guilty of racial discrimination against officer |
| 1991 | Bill Morris becomes the first black person elected to lead a major union, the TGWU
Asylum Bill published, to limit entry by Asylum seekers |
| 1992 | Conservatives win election
6 Ethnic minority MP's elected, black Conservative candidate loses at Cheltenham
First Asian judge appointed |
| 1997 | European Year Against Racism
Labour wins election |
| 1998 | Fatwa on Salmon Rushdie lifted
Human Rights Act 1998 is passed
Britkid website goes on-line |
| 1999 | MacPherson report into death of Stephen Lawrence
Several police forces acknowledge existence of institutionalised racism
Targets set for ethnic minority recruitment in most public services
Growth of asylum seekers from eastern Europe, increased controls
Immigration and Asylum Act passed
The National Asylum Support Service set up by Home office |
| 2000 | signs of 'race card' being played in run-up to election
Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 provides general duties on public bodies |
| 2001 | Labour wins election
Riots in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford
September 11 - twin towers of World Trade Centre are destroyed and Pentagon attacked by terrorists
Anti-terrorism Crime and Security Bill passed which includes streamlining immigration procedures. Debates occurred about whether the offence of incitement to religious hatred should be included. |
| 2002 | Britkid is redeveloped |
