Title: Comments on a ‘critical examination of the recommendations of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion’
Abstract: A previous article in People, Place & Policy Online by Derek McGhee was highly critical of the work of the independent Commission on Integration and Cohesion, which reported to the government in July 2007.This paper reviews the criticisms, and concludes that many are either unfair or fail to take account of evidence in support of the Commission's approach.While there are valid criticisms of the Commission and the policy outcome from its work, the strengths in its analysis should not go unrecognised.There are key differences with early policy reports on community cohesion which fairly respond to a changed environment in which migration has become a much more important issue.