Key facts
- Operation Black Vote chair David Weaver believes Prime Minister-designate Andy Burnham has a crucial opportunity to address racism in the UK.
- Weaver stated that current political rhetoric regarding race is more extreme than Enoch Powell's "rivers of blood" speech.
- He called for specific actions, including legal aid for Windrush survivors and restoring the Labour whip to Diane Abbott.
- Research indicates significant anti-minority sentiment among voters of the Reform UK party.
- Weaver emphasized the need for Burnham to acknowledge the "specificity of race" alongside class inequalities.
David Weaver, the chair of Operation Black Vote (OBV), has stated that Andy Burnham, poised to become Prime Minister, has a significant opportunity to address the issue of racism in the UK. Weaver believes Burnham's focus on class and regional inequalities is beneficial but stressed the need to also confront the "specificity of race."
In an interview marking OBV's 30th anniversary, Weaver expressed concern that ethnonationalist rhetoric and ethnic disparities have led Black and Asian Britons to discuss leaving the UK at levels not seen since the 1970s. He suggested that current political discourse makes Enoch Powell's infamous "rivers of blood" speech appear mild by comparison, with Black people questioning their British identity.
Weaver urged Burnham to take concrete steps, including providing legal aid to Windrush scandal survivors and reforming the compensation scheme by removing it from Home Office control. He also called for the reinstatement of the Labour whip for MP Diane Abbott, whose treatment has been a point of concern for Black voters.
Recent research from Hope Not Hate and the IPPR thinktank highlights concerning attitudes among voters of the Reform UK party, with a significant portion expressing anti-immigrant and anti-minority sentiments. Weaver drew parallels between this rhetoric and the postwar calls for "repatriation," as well as the realities of the Windrush scandal, emphasizing that the government must learn from these past failures.
Despite the challenges, Weaver stated that leaving Britain is not the answer and that Black people must retain the right to live in the UK with equity. He also noted OBV's ongoing efforts to build coalitions with white working-class communities, aiming to foster dialogue across divides and address common concerns. Weaver argued that politicians often use discussions about race to avoid addressing class issues, and vice versa, advocating for a future society based on humanity.