I am appalled by the reports and images coming out of the US, following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police. This is an incident that has shocked the world and sadly, as we are hearing more and more, is far from the first. There should be no place in our country, or any other, for racially motivated police brutality.
We all know that racism is wrong, but clearly just thinking that is no longer enough. We must do more. I am conscious that I have been given the privileged position of being a Member of Parliament, and that I have a role in supporting marginalised communities to bring about the changes needed.
I will not pretend that I understand how experiencing racism feels or that I suddenly have all the answers to remove racism from society, but I am ready to listen to those who have experienced this, and hear from them what measures they think we need to take. Whether that is changes in our school curriculum, steps we can take to end racial discrimination in the workplace, more funding for the community groups already undertaking social justice projects or something else.
Particularly concerning at the moment is the recent Inquiry into COVID-19 disproportionally affecting the BAME community. I raised this at PMQs a few weeks ago and I will be pressing the Government to consider it’s findings very seriously. But I do realise more action needs to be taken to make a difference. I will be speaking with our local NHS trusts and the Local Resilience Forum, who co-ordinate responses across our area to the pandemic, as soon as possible to see what practical steps can be taken to protect those who work on the frontline.
A number of constituents have also asked me to support banning the exports of tear gas, riot equipment and other ‘small arms’ to the US. I understand that these export licences are currently under consideration and they will not go ahead where they are likely to be used for internal repression. The ‘Consolidated Criteria’ provides a thorough risk assessment framework within which these decisions are made. These decisions are taken at arm’s length, by appropriately trained Civil Servants, and not by politicians. I am confident that the system allows this sort of decision to be taken, and I will be monitoring their considerations carefully.
