Latest news with #DianeAbbott
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Labour should allow debate about racism
Jason Okundaye's insightful response to Diane Abbott's second suspension from the Labour party points to the 'cancellation' in the public sphere of a serious and necessary debate about racism and discrimination in British society (The Diane Abbott row shows how impoverished Britain's conversations about race have become, 18 July). His considerations begin with Channel 4's Devil's Advocate, in which Darcus Howe challenged Bernie Grant MP on his call for a 'voluntary repatriation' scheme for Black people in Britain. I was Channel 4's commissioning editor, co-conceiving the format and mission of Devil's Advocate. It set out to challenge Black nationalism, which Darcus spent his life opposing, in his dedication to the postcolonial development of multi-ethnic Britain. As Jason contends, Diane simply pointed to the fact that the racism the Black population of Britain faces through skin colour is different from the undoubted discrimination experienced by other communities. Her suspension is a mystery. Diane has in fact pointed to something that Labour needs to address urgently. What precisely is the distinction between anti-Netanyahu-Zionism and antisemitism? What precisely do Black youths on the streets being challenged by the police face that white youths don't? The work of the Darcus Howe Legacy Collective continues Darcus's championing of social justice, equality and representation to provide a framework for debate and understanding of current racial and social issues. Is the Labour government unable to recognise the distinctions, formulations and policies that should follow what Diane has so modestly pointed out? If Devil's Advocate were still broadcast today, we'd invite Diane and Keir Starmer to examine why pointing out an obvious truth entails suspension from the very party that keeps us from the disaster of the Tories and the death wish of Reform. Farrukh DhondyThe Darcus Howe Legacy Collective Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Labour should allow debate about racism
Jason Okundaye's insightful response to Diane Abbott's second suspension from the Labour party points to the 'cancellation' in the public sphere of a serious and necessary debate about racism and discrimination in British society (The Diane Abbott row shows how impoverished Britain's conversations about race have become, 18 July). His considerations begin with Channel 4's Devil's Advocate, in which Darcus Howe challenged Bernie Grant MP on his call for a 'voluntary repatriation' scheme for Black people in Britain. I was Channel 4's commissioning editor, co-conceiving the format and mission of Devil's Advocate. It set out to challenge Black nationalism, which Darcus spent his life opposing, in his dedication to the postcolonial development of multi-ethnic Britain. As Jason contends, Diane simply pointed to the fact that the racism the Black population of Britain faces through skin colour is different from the undoubted discrimination experienced by other communities. Her suspension is a mystery. Diane has in fact pointed to something that Labour needs to address urgently. What precisely is the distinction between anti-Netanyahu-Zionism and antisemitism? What precisely do Black youths on the streets being challenged by the police face that white youths don't? The work of the Darcus Howe Legacy Collective continues Darcus's championing of social justice, equality and representation to provide a framework for debate and understanding of current racial and social issues. Is the Labour government unable to recognise the distinctions, formulations and policies that should follow what Diane has so modestly pointed out? If Devil's Advocate were still broadcast today, we'd invite Diane and Keir Starmer to examine why pointing out an obvious truth entails suspension from the very party that keeps us from the disaster of the Tories and the death wish of Reform. Farrukh DhondyThe Darcus Howe Legacy Collective Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Coalition of left-wing firebrands and trade unions behind wave of pro-migrant counter-protests outside asylum seeker hotels
A coalition of left-wing firebrands and trade union barons are behind the group spearheading a wave of pro-migrant counter-protests outside asylum seeker hotels. Activists from Stand Up to Racism have been sent their marching orders ahead of a series of planned demonstrations this weekend. Fresh rallying cries to 'stand together against the far right' have already gone out this week to the campaign group's army loyal follows on social media. Meanwhile, other activists have been seen on streets in London handing out fliers urging people to 'defend refugees' from controversial right-wing political activist, Tommy Robinson, who they claim is 'mobilising the far-right'. Pro-migration supporters have already been involved in the demonstrations outside migrant hotels in Canary Wharf, London this week, and The Bell Hotel in Epping, in Essex, earlier this month. This week video footage emerged of a group of pro-migrant protesters, carrying placards for Stand Up to Racism, being escorted by police to the The Bell Hotel - where violent clashes later erupted. Stand Up to Racism, made up of a nationwide network of cells and local bodies, is partly funded by trade unions and led by Diane Abbot, the suspended Labour MP. It frequently campaigns against individual political figures as well as parties - with the likes of Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage, US President Donald Trump and former Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick among those to face the group's wrath. It's leadership is split across a series of figures and regional heads, who help to co-ordinate protests. Ms Abbott, 71, is the organisation's president. The veteran MP was suspended for a second time earlier this month for her controversial comments on racism. Ms Abbott, who made history in 1987 by becoming the first black woman ever elected to parliament, is facing an investigation after defending a previous claim that Jews experience racism differently than black people. She made the remark more than two years ago that people of colour experienced racism 'all their lives', which was different from the 'prejudice' experienced by Jews, the Irish and Travellers. In a statement to Newsnight following her suspension, Ms Abbott said: 'It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out. My comments in the interview … were factually correct, as any fair-minded person would accept.' Supporting Ms Abbott in Stand Up to Racism is Daniel Kebede, who is the group's vice-president. Mr Kebede is the general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU)- which staged a total of 593 days of local teacher walkouts in 2024 and is Britain's biggest education union. The education chief hit the headlines earlier this year after demanding ministers bring in a statutory ban on mobile phones in schools. He warned children have access to 'hardcore pornography' on their phones which is 'damaging' to both boys and girls, and said Keir Starmer must take a stronger stance on outlawing phones from the classroom. And in April he was forced to defend the NEU after it sparked an 'anti-Israel' row following its pledge to produce school resources to 'raise awareness' of the war in Palestine. The union voted to develop materials for its half a million members to use in classrooms about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. However, one of its own members accused the union of presenting a 'one-sided' and 'anti-Israel' view, saying the plans could fuel anti-Semitism in schools. Peter Block, 76, a Jewish NEU member and retired teacher, said: 'They are trying to filter into the curriculum this one-sided view. 'It's anti-Israel. But how is vilification of Israel helping with anti-Semitism?' The comments forced a response from Mr Kebede, who denied the NEU was hostile to Jewish members and added that the materials produced would not be biased. 'Teachers have professional standards. They must teach from an impartial standpoint. Everybody recognises that and this union will only ever advise members on that,' he said. 'Whatever we produce will be obviously within the line of the law.' Others in prominent roles within Stand Up to Racism include railway baron Mick Whelan, who oversaw two years of train strike misery as general secretary of the Aslef union. He currently the 'anti-racism' group's vice-chairman. Kevin Courtney, Mr Kebede's predecessor, also sits on the campaign's committee as a co-chairman. In March, the campaign group held its annual trade union conference, where speakers included Mr Kebede and Mr Whelan as well as the head of equalities and the anti-racist taskforce chairman at the TUC, Patrick Roach. Mr Roach is also the general secretary of teaching union NASUWT - and was this year made a CBE by the King for his services to education. Titles of workshops held over the day included: 'Return to 1930s: the changing face of fascism and our unions' [sic] role in fighting it' and 'Trade Union Network to Stop the Far Right: developing organising online and in the workplace.' During the event, it is claimed Mr Roach gave a rallying cry to union officials to rail against Nigel Farage's political party. 'We can't defeat Reform without exposing the racism,' he is reported to have said. Also involved in the coalition are members of the Green Party in Tower Hamlets, London, who helped stage a 'small' counter-protest outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf this week. The luxury four-star venue is the latest to have been taken over by the Home Office and transformed into a migrant hotel - sparking fury locally. Tower Hamlets Green Party councillor Nathalie Bienfait took part in the counter rally on Tuesday - where she was told to 'f*** off' by an anti-migration protester. Ms Bienfait claims to have a degree in international and European law from a Dutch university, and a masters in environment and sustainability from Birkbeck, University of London. She later spent almost five years as a marketing specialist before becoming a councillor in May 2022. Writing on X about her rally outside the migrant hotel she said: 'We were holding small signs saying "refugees are welcome" and calling for "safe and legal routes now". 'What we can't do is blame asylum seekers for our failing public services. These are the most vulnerable people in our world and they have no safe or legal routes to this country and also have no choice over where the Home Office puts them.' One video went viral of her challenging protesters outside the hotel. It showed her being verbally abused, with one protester later saying migrants have 'got the whole of Europe to go to'. 'Yeah they've got the whole of Europe, but, why should we put that burden on the rest of Europe?' Ms Bienfait replied. 'We still have to take responsibility for the fact that we have a lot of stakes in the conflict and climate crisis that causes people be refugees and have to come to another country.' It's feared a fresh round of protests could take place at Canary Wharf, Epping and elsewhere in the coming days. Police chiefs already fear the UK is on the cusp of a summer of violence that forces nationwide would struggle to deal with, due to manpower issues. Officers could now be dragged away from neighbourhood duties to keep the peace at rallies outside migrant hotels, said Tiff Lynch, head of the Police Federation. Ms Lynch said officers were being 'pulled in every direction' and commanders were 'forced to choose between keeping the peace at home or plugging national gaps'. She said if violent protests spread throughout the summer, it would be 'dangerous to assume' that police forces would be able to 'hold the line indefinitely' 'It would be comical if it weren't so serious - and so familiar. Local commanders are once again being forced to choose between keeping the peace at home or plugging national gaps,' she wrote in the Telegraph. She said Epping was 'not just a troubling one-off', adding: 'It was a signal flare. A reminder of how little it takes for tensions to erupt and how ill-prepared we remain to deal with it.' In a statement, a spokeswoman for Stand Up to Racism said they were 'deeply concerned that the recent demonstrations that led to violence and rioting at The Bell Hotel in Epping were not organised by local mums and concerned residents'. The spokesman continued: 'They were organised by Neo-Nazi group Homeland, that is seeking to wind up the local community and stir up racism to build a fascist movement.' They also said the group 'receives funding from members, affiliates, including trade unions'.
Spectator
7 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Portrait of the week: Epping protests, votes at 16 and Ozzy Osbourne dies
Home Six people were arrested during a protest by 1,000 outside the Bell hotel in Epping, Essex, which houses asylum seekers; an asylum seeker had earlier been charged with sexual assaults in the town. The Conservative leader of the council said: 'It's a powder keg now.' The number of migrants arriving in England in small boats in the seven days to 21 July was 1,030. The Lionesses, the England women's football team, decided not to take the knee before winning their semi-final Euro game, after a player, Jess Carter, had been inundated with racist abuse on social media during the tournament. The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police ordered the removal of Pride rainbows and transgender livery from police cars after a judge ruled it was unlawful for her force to have taken part in uniform in a Pride march last year. At the next general election, 16-year-olds will be able to vote, the government said. Diane Abbott had the Labour whip removed again, pending an investigation into an interview she gave to James Naughtie, in which she said: 'It's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.' Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, earlier suspended the Labour whip from four MPs – Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff – who were accused by government sources of 'persistent knobheadery' and were among 47 who voted against the welfare bill. Sir James Cleverly became shadow housing secretary in a reshuffle. Hospital consultants were told by the British Medical Association to charge £6,000 for being on call this weekend when resident (junior) doctors are on strike. The government announced it would abolish Ofwat in response to a 464-page report by the Independent Water Commission headed by Sir Jon Cunliffe, who said that water bills would rise by 30 per cent over five years. Government borrowing jumped to £20.7 billion last month, £6.6 billion higher than in June last year. British manufacturers' sales fell by £14.5 billion last year to £452 billion. Unemployment for the three months to May rose to 4.7 per cent, from 4.6 per cent in the three months to April. Brewdog was to close ten of its 71 bars in the UK. The train operator c2c, which runs services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, was nationalised. Britain and Germany agreed to create a direct rail link between London and Berlin under the so-called Treaty of Kensington signed at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Andrew Saint, the former editor of the monumental Survey of London, died aged 78. Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of Black Sabbath, died aged 76. Sir Roger Norrington, the conductor, died aged 91. Abroad Britain signed a statement with 26 other countries saying: 'The war in Gaza must end now.' It declared: 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity', adding: 'The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas… continue to suffer terribly.' Israel launched a ground and air assault on Deir al-Balah in Gaza. The UN World Food Programme said a food convoy in northern Gaza 'encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire', after crossing the border from Israel. At least 80 died, according to the Hamas-run ministry of health. (Journalists are not allowed into Gaza.) Israel said it 'deeply regrets' a strike on Gaza's only Catholic church, Holy Family, which killed three people. Israel struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus in actions to defend Druze in the south of Syria. Bedouin fighters retreated from Suweida to surrounding villages and Syrian government forces guarded the road into the city, where Druze had been killed by government and Bedouin forces. The number of Druze and Bedouin deaths exceeded 1,100. China began work on the world's largest hydroelectric dam, on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia caused Moscow's four major airports to be temporarily closed. A Bangladeshi air force training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka, killing 19. In elections, Japan's ruling coalition lost its majority in the upper house as well as the lower. President Donald Trump sued the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch, for at least $10 billion, over its report that his name was on a lewd birthday note for Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that contained a reference to secrets they shared. Connie Francis, whose hits included 'Lipstick on Your Collar', died aged 87. CSH
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Pro-migration protest group escorted by police is funded by trade unions
The pro-migration protest group escorted by police to a migrant hotel is partly funded by trade unions and led by Diane Abbott, the suspended Labour MP. Counter-protesters involved in the Epping demonstration were carrying placards for Stand Up to Racism, a group that explicitly opposes Nigel Farage's Reform UK and which is backed by the TUC. Essex Police came under fire after footage appeared to show officers escorting the protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on July 17. Anti-migrant demonstrators went on to claim that their arrival sparked violence between the two opposing groups. The force had initially denied that it had brought the Stand Up to Racism activists to the site, yet later admitted that it had done so. Stand Up to Racism has frequently campaigned against individual political figures as well as parties – with Mr Farage and Robert Jenrick, the former Conservative immigration minister, among those it has targeted in the past. Its website currently seeks donations for a campaign to 'stop Reform UK'. The organisation's president is Ms Abbott, who was suspended by Labour last week after defending a previous claim that Jews experience racism differently than black people. Daniel Kebede, Stand Up to Racism's vice-president, is general secretary of the National Education Union, which orchestrated a total of 593 days of local teacher walkouts in 2024. Kevin Courtney, Mr Kebede's predecessor, also sits on the campaign's committee as a co-chairman. Meanwhile, Mick Whelan, a vice-chairman of Stand Up to Racism, oversaw two years of train strikes as general secretary of union Aslef. In March, the campaign group held its annual trade union conference, where speakers included Mr Kebede and Mr Whelan as well as the head of equalities and the anti-racist taskforce chairman at the TUC. Titles of workshops held over the day included: 'Return to 1930s: the changing face of fascism and our unions' [sic] role in fighting it' and 'Trade Union Network to Stop the Far Right: developing organising online and in the workplace.' On the 'Trade Union Network' part of its website, Stand Up to Racism says: 'Most major trade unions in Britain are affiliated to Stand Up to Racism. 'It's our hope to increase the number of activists in the unions prepared to join the struggle against racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and the rise of the far right and fascism.' The website also includes tips on how to 'mobilise' staff in workplaces – with hospital workers advised to 'mass leaflet entrances' as colleagues are coming in to start their shifts. Meanwhile teachers are advised to 'hold lunchtime/after-school meeting[s]' and to 'order badges and posters for lunch rooms and displays'. In a lengthy response, a Stand Up to Racism spokesman said they were 'deeply concerned that the recent demonstrations that led to violence and rioting at The Bell Hotel in Epping were not organised by local mums and concerned residents.' The spokesman continued: 'They were organised by Neo-Nazi group Homeland, that is seeking to wind up the local community and stir up racism to build a fascist movement.' They also said the organisation 'receives funding from members, affiliates, including trade unions'.
