Priti Patel today promised that the Government’s “ears are open, and we are listening and learning” as she vowed to repay the suffering inflicted on the Windrush generation by stamping out racism and discrimination in Britain.
The Home Secretary said she wanted to find “sensible, constructive and responsible solutions quickly” to the “challenges facing black and ethnic minority people across society in education, work and health”.
She said she recognised the “strength of feeling over the injustices sadly still experienced by minority communities today” which have been highlighted by the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in the US.
Ms Patel marked the anniversary of the arrival in Britain of the ship Empire Windrush 72 years ago today by announcing a Windrush Cross-Government Working Group, which she will chair jointly with Bishop Derek Webley.
She said that the Government was already taking “decisive action to right the terrible wrongs suffered by the Windrush generation”, many of whom were deported or suffered other harm despite being entitled to live and stay in the UK. But she admitted that “there is clearly much more to do”.
In an article written with Bishop Webley, she said: “Our ears are open, and we are listening and learning, to ensure a scandal of this nature can never be repeated.”
