Senior black politicians and campaigners are criticising the government for suggesting the UK is not racist and for claiming that the recent ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests across the UK are based on anger about prejudice in the US. Tara Pilkington reports.
David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, has said it was “real ignorance” to suggest that the protesters were angry only about police brutality in the US rather than discrimination in the UK.
Dawn Butler, a Labour former minister, has also suggested that by claiming that the protests are largely related to America were a sign that the government was “again not listening and shows no commitment to resolving the issues of racism in our own country”.
Lammy, who wrote a report on inequalities in the justice system for Theresa May’s administration, said the government needs to acknowledge that: “racism and prejudice exist in the United Kingdom as well as the United States”.
He added: “To suggest there is only a problem on the other side of the Atlantic might make Matt Hancock feel better, but it shows real ignorance. People in this country are not only showing solidarity with George Floyd and other African Americans. We must turn this moment into one of change and justice in the UK too.”
Protests across the world were sparked by demonstrations in the US in response to the killing by police of George Floyd.
