Diane Abbott Speaks Out: Racism in the UK

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It is safe to say that the last week in UK politics has been a rollercoaster. The fallout of Mr Hester’s comments against MP Diane Abbott has raised concerns about not only racism embedded into the Tory government but also of the priorities of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

This all started when Mr Hester, the Tories biggest financial donor, who reportedly commented that Abbott “makes you want to hate all black women,” and that she, “should be shot.” During the Prime Minister’s Questions in parliament on Wednesday, Diane stood up a total of 46 times, to which the speaker, ignored her every time.

Some have said that this is just another example of the systemic racism existing in the UK today. When called upon, Sunak stated that Mr Hester had apologised and that the comments made by the doner had nothing to do with the colour of her skin or her gender.

Appalled, there has been significant backlash from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – a Prime Minister who was not voted in by the general public. Days later, public outrage led to a call for the donor to resign from his firm and that the Prime Minister should terminate Mr Hester’s term as a donor. However, Sunak has not made any steps to make this happen, suggesting that he will continue to fund the Tory government.

Consequently, the people in East London gathered in a stand with Diane Abbott. Hundreds of people came out in solidarity, with anger not only directed at the Tories but also at the Labour Party, arguing that the whip should be returned to Diane Abbott during the fallout of the events catalysed by Mr Hester. Diane Abbott has become a pioneer for blackness in the UK.

With a concern for her safety, Abbott stated at the rally, “This is not about me. This is absolutely [about] the level of racism in Britain. This is about the way black women are disrespected decade after decade. We have to stand up. We have to stand firm. We have to make sure that for generations of young black people, they don’t have to suffer the racism that we had to suffer.”

Edited by: Ayantika Ghosh

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