We are nowhere near as inclusive as we pretend on race – the huffing and puffing over the matter is nothing short of delusional, writes Catherine Deveney.
Piers Morgan, that well-known, intellectually incisive social commentator – in his own universe, at least – has waded into the race row over Rishi Sunak with his customary grace and elegance.
“There’s been no backlash against Sunak, you race-baiting twerps,” he tweeted. Why, he demanded to know, were the American media trying to say Britain was a racist country? Dunno, Piers… maybe because it is?
The row started with a caller to a phone-in on LBC radio, who said Sunak was “not even British” and didn’t “love England like Boris does”.
Is it just me, or does that sound like some delusional spouse who refuses to accept that their ex-partner lied, cheated, and spat on them on the way out the door? You don’t understand – they loved me. Aye, so they did.
English people, the caller insisted, were 85% white. They wanted a white prime minister. “Could you imagine me becoming the prime minister of Pakistan or Saudi Arabia?” He demanded. Mate, I couldn’t imagine you becoming prime minister of Neverland.
Anyway, South African comedian Trevor Noah commented that some British people were terrified that “the Indians are going to take over”. What a reaction that got!
Quite apart from the fact that Noah’s job appears to have been overlooked (clue – he plays it for laughs) it was a bit ironic that this supposedly inclusive country’s reaction boiled down to the equivalent of: “Yanks, mind your own business.”
Ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart claimed the comment was “lazy stereotyping” and Downing Street insisted Sunak disagreed, while Tory MP Sajid Javid said it was “completely detached from reality”. Really? Whose reality?
Rishi Sunak’s rise is as much about class as race
It would be naive to think you could judge racism levels in Britain by how far a multimillionaire, Oxford-educated, Conservative politician of colour with an accent straight out of Downton Abbey can climb the ranks.
“Dishy Rishi” may be the first Asian prime minister of Great Britain but, with a fortune estimated at upwards of £700 million, and the odd £3,500 Henry Herbert suit in his closet, he’s also the wealthiest. Let’s be clear: Sunak’s rise is as much about class as race.
Much more indicative of attitudes is news this week that a Dover immigration centre was bombed, appalling conditions at Manston detention centre in Kent were uncovered, and a Ministry of Justice advert was deemed racist by the Advertising Standards Authority.
In 2020-21, over 85,000 racially aggravated offences were recorded in Britain, up 12% on the year before. Race and nationality hate crimes rose by an incredible 73%. And does anyone really believe that England’s Brexit vote – quite different from Scotland’s – was devoid of any anti-immigration, racist element?
Interestingly, one black English commentator surveying the Sunak row described “the endless hijacking of racial progress by the ruling classes”, which makes sense. Consider the politicians of colour who support the grotesque policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda: Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, Rishi Sunak himself… all figures whose self-identity is clearly more connected to class than ethnicity.
Why didn’t Sunak win leadership race against Truss?
One of the most strikingly divisive images of recent weeks was Tories entering a champagne reception. Inside, chandeliers sparkled and bubbly flowed. A figure came to the window, closing a curtain over the scene to keep it private; a perfect metaphor for the class division in Britain’s cost of living crisis.
Yes, a few people of colour entered the bubble-fest. But, in the real world outside the window, integration was less evident. For every 1,000 white people out there, there are 7.5 stop-and-searches. For every 1,000 black people, there are 52.6. They aren’t, you can be sure, Tory politicians in penguin suits.
Those of us who had no vote, who wouldn’t thank you for a Tory prime minister of any description, were still able to see the obvious gulf that existed between the candidates
There is another crucial issue. Why did Rishi Sunak not win the Tory leadership contest in the first place? He had more support amongst MPs than Liz Truss.
It was the grassroots membership of the Conservative Party who decided. The kind who call LBC phone-ins. Those of us who had no vote, who wouldn’t thank you for a Tory prime minister of any description, were still able to see the obvious gulf that existed between the candidates. Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss? Do me a favour.
We are nowhere near as inclusive as we pretend
The disaster that followed was blatantly, ridiculously obvious. But, you can imagine the turmoil in the Tory shires at that original choice: a woman or an Asian, God help us!
We are nowhere near as inclusive as we pretend, either on gender or race, and the huffing and puffing over Noah’s comments is nothing short of delusional.
This review is welcome – but long overdue.
For yrs we've sounded the alarm over Met police’s racist #GangsMatrix.
This racist stigmatising has damaged young black men and their families' lives. These changes are just 1 of many urgent reforms needed to clean up London policing. https://t.co/oHRnU67gHo
— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) October 31, 2022
If someone suggested that gender equality exists in Britain, I’d snort. What do Sunak et al achieve by pretending racial equality exists? It might not be a racist country for them, but they need to get out more.
Part of me wants to celebrate the appointment of Britain’s first Asian prime minister. But, I won’t judge Sunak on skin colour any more than I judge Truss on gender. I judge them on how much common humanity they are prepared to find with people who have neither their Prada shoes, nor their privileged status.
Catherine Deveney is an award-winning investigative journalist, novelist and television presenter, and Scottish Newspaper Columnist of the Year 2022
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