Abbott piles more pressure on Starmer over Forde Report

DIANE ABBOTT joined a 'Twitter storm' as black and Asian members demand action to address racism identified in the Forde Report.

DIANE ABBOTT joined a ‘Twitter storm’ today aimed at reminding Sir Keir Starmer that black and Asian members demand action to address racism identified in the Forde Report.

The Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington quote-tweeted the Campaign Against Afriphobia (CAA), writing: “Lets not forget the @UKLabour racism revealed in the Forde Report.”

Abbott has co-signed an open letter to Starmer, currently supported by over 250 Labour members, calling on the leader to apologise for the racism directed at black MPs from party HQ staff, which was exposed in the report.

Black members are demanding a “clear response” to the report. Next month black members plan to hold a protest in Parliament Square over the lack of action on tackling racism in the party.

Starmer has been criticised for readmitting HQ staff back into the party before lawyer Martin Forde QC had published the report, which the leader commissioned.

Labour’s official response to the findings was to state: “Starmer is in control now.”

The response has been heavily criticised by several black MPs, including Dawn Butler, Kate Osamor, Clive Lewis, Bell Riberio-Addy, and Kim Johnson.

The party’s refusal to introduce any new measures or respond specifically to evidence of racism in the report has infuriated activists, who say this shows that Labour is taking black votes for granted.

Speaking on a video released today by Double Down News, former leader Jeremy Corbyn – who remains suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party – said the racist behaviour of senior officials on a WhatsApp group was “despicable.”

Labour’s promised National BAME conference, which some members believed would happen this year, now looks likely to be postponed.

Black members are frustrated that the 2018 promise to set up a BAME members structure has not been delivered so far, meaning members do not have an accountable voice on the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.

Comments Form

8 Comments

  1. | Lucie Scott

    It is not only a restoration of our democracy that we need.
    As we enter the penultimate year of the UN International Decade for People of African descent we cannot accept this adamant silence in relation to Afriphobia, and anti-black racism. A century after Tulsa USA we are still fighting for equality and find institutional racism is rife in the UK.
    On Forde Allegation 6, Diane and all Black members deserve an apology, and those involved should be sanctioned. We have to reflect, learn and change, ensuring that the recommendations are fully implemented and are quality assured. This continued silence is disturbing and damaging to the loyalty of those people and communities who voted for and benefitted from a Labour government, that was not afraid to stand up to racism and legislate in order to tackle it e.g. 1965, 1969, 1976, 2000. This is damaging to Black members and representatives working hard to get Labour elected, but who face racism that is disregarded and being ignored.
    We are coming out of a pandemic into a cost of living crisis. Has the current leadership forgotten how glaring the inequality in British society is?
    If Labour want to win they cannot ignore how diverse this country is and that means being bold enough to tackle all forms of racism. We are either anti- racist (all forms) or we are anti-human rights.

    Reply

    • | Eve Hill

      I agree with everything you’ve said, Lucie!

      Reply

  2. | DAZZA

    Black people need to vote only for Black Candidates or form there own parties. Secondly its time to stop interacting with white people. There never gonna change.

    Face it

    Reply

  3. | Christiana Watson

    What happen

    Reply

  4. | Simon Jenner

    Can’t improve in the eloquence of Lucie Scott’s witness and informed histoeical reach. Should be permanently up. Thank you.

    Dazza’s got a point. I’m white so I should know. Capital and Tories as well as the Labour right with FPTP mean no voting or forming parties except withdrawing en masse will work – with Labour. Labour cannot win without the votes of those it currently excludes.

    Trouble is the current crisis is a perfect time to ignore Forde. With the crisis this will end on the streets and with more direct effect, a general strike.

    But Starmer has to lose Black and minority/excluded votes en masse and know it, before he’ll act, or his successor after potentially losing the 2024 GE. And that’s something no-one quite wants though Labour really deserve humiliating.

    Can’t think of anything that’ll otherwise wake up Labour. Asian vote is reportedly well down already and under 24s. Trouble is, most minorities being urban reminds us that 2019 was 2nd highest vote for Labour since 2001 after 2017.

    Reply

  5. | Chaka Artwell

    The Forde Report revealed undisputed skin-colour prejudice; segregation and racism against Labour’s African-herirage MPs; Councillors and voters.

    Labour’s and Sir Kier Starmer’s failure to apologise or respond to the Forde Report, with the seriousness the Forde Report deserves, should be the topic of conversation for the 65 percent of Her Majesty’s African-heritage Subjects who uncritically vote Labour in London and other English Cities.

    The Forde Report reveals massive injustice against African-heritage Labour Members.
    The disparity of response from Labour’s NEC and senior middle-class caucasian-heritage leaders in the Labour Party H.Q. must not be passively tolerated by Labour voting Labour members of African-heritage.

    Excluding the Voice and the Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP, the establishment media- incluuding the Guardian, have not used their influence to pressure the Labour Party H.Q. to correct and expose LABOUR’S ‘s skin-colour injustice; and the abuse of African-heritage Labour Members and Voters.

    On the first day Sir Kier Starmer become the new Labour Leader in 2019, Sir Kier Starmer issued an apology for the hurt feelings of caucasian-Jewry; whilst Labour’s injustice against African-heritage Labour Members and voters is both tolerated and ignored by the currtent Labour Leadership.

    Why the disparity from the Labour Leader?

    Reply

  6. | Sandra Wyman

    Absolutely agree. As an ally I am horrified by the way those of African heritage have been treated

    Reply

  7. | Alexandra Salva Macallan

    Agree

    Reply

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