As Andy Burnham prepares to take the reins as Prime Minister, he faces a daunting challenge: resetting the UK's toxic debate on racism and migration. David Weaver, chair of Operation Black Vote (OBV), warns that failure to tackle these issues will only further erode trust among Britain's Black communities, exacerbating class inequality and fuelling ethnonationalist sentiment.
Burnham's policy agenda, which promises devolution, reindustrialisation, and a more interventionist economic approach, has the potential to alleviate significant regional disparities. But Weaver argues that addressing class and inequality is only half the battle – Burnham must also confront the specific challenges of racism head-on, including persistent ethnic disparities and instances of racial violence.
Weaver points out that widespread pessimism among Black Britons about their future in the UK has reached a 50-year low, with many questioning their British identity. This is a crisis of trust that cannot be ignored. He urges Burnham to take concrete steps, including granting legal aid to Windrush survivors and overhauling the compensation scheme – currently under Home Office control.
Weaver also calls for the restoration of the Labour whip to Diane Abbott, who he describes as a 'trailblazer' for Black MPs. Her treatment, he argues, is symptomatic of deeper issues within the party. The backdrop to this call includes alarming research from Hope Not Hate and IPPR, which reveals disturbing attitudes among certain sections of the population – including Reform UK members, who believe non-white citizens should be forcibly removed or encouraged to leave.
Research from December shows that 71% of Reform voters consider British ancestry a prerequisite for being 'truly British', while one in five supported forced removal of non-white citizens born abroad. Such rhetoric, coupled with statements from figures like Conservative MP Katie Lam and Restore Britain leader Lee Brown, has the potential to further polarise opinion and undermine social cohesion.
Weaver's warning is clear: without a fundamental shift in how we discuss race and migration, Burnham's agenda risks being undermined by its own contradictions. It is time for him to put words into action and tackle the pressing issues facing Britain's Black communities – before it's too late.