widespread in society’ 36 with relationship to immigration policies and their consequences. 37
Unlike the Conservatives, the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats do not deny
institutional and structural racism and claim they will address it. Labour Party leader,
Keir Starmer has promised a race equality act and shadow government minister David
Lammy said eradicating structural racism would be a ‘defining cause’ of the next Labour government. 38 However, Starmer, himself, faced accusations of racism from
Diane Abbott after he accused her of antisemitism. She said, ‘there is a widespread
sentiment that as a black woman, and someone on the left of the Labour Party that I will not get a fair hearing’. 39 Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has also declared his will to tackle racism, saying he made a ‘lifetime commitment to tackle the scourge of racism and to fight the disgrace of racial inequality’. 40
In conclusion, the current government has explicitly denied that structural and
institutional racism exist in the UK. Expert opinion and expressed lived experience
both affirm that deeply entrenched racism operates in many spheres of UK society,
including government, parliament, judiciary, police and education. Given this, there is
a clear wilful government ‘blind-spot’ concerning the existence of structural and
institutional racism in the UK. Whilst Labour has faced accusations of racism, both
36 ‘UN rights expert hails UK for anti-racism action but raises serious concerns over Immigration Policy, Prevent programme and Brexit’. 37 UN rights expert hails UK for anti-racism action but raises serious concerns over Immigration Policy, Prevent programme and Brexit’. 38 Nazia Parveen and Aamna Mohdin, ‘Starmer Promises Race Equality Act, a Year on from George Floyd’s Murder’, The Guardian (2021), <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/25/starmer-promises-race-equality-act-a-year-on- from-george-floyds>. 39 ‘Diane Abbott Attacks Starmer and Labour over Race Complaint Handling’, ITV News (2023), <https://www.itv.com/news/london/2023-09-20/diane-abbott-attacks-on-starmer-and-labour-over-race-complaint- handling>. 40 Ed Davey, ‘Putting Liberalism At The Heart Of Diversity And Anti-Racism’, Liberal Democrat Voice (2020), <https://www.libdemvoice.org/ed-davey-writes-putting-liberalism-at-the-heart-of-diversity-and-antiracism- 65428.html>.
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