How Boris Johnson's Vow To Tackle Race Inequality Stands A Year On
From Brexit to a global pandemic and the rebirth of a civil rights movement, Boris Johnson’s first year as prime minister has been uniquely tumultuous.
And it has coincided with a series of events that exposed just how the deep the lines of racial injustice lie across the country.
Simon Woolley, founder of Operation Black Vote, told HuffPost UK: “Historians will look at back on 2020 and ask but one question: how did our national leader react to this perfect storm that laid bare deep-seated racial inequalities as never before?
“The devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on BAME communities, along with the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, demands our prime minister lay out a race equality strategy now.”
Before taking office, Johnson already had a worrying track record on race, referring to Black people as “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”. Prior to last year’s general election, many Black people told HuffPost UK they were fearful about Johnson re-entering Number 10.
A year on, what do they make of his time in office so far?
These are the key moments that show how Boris Johnson has responded to major tests in race relations.
‘Perilous for ethnic minorities’
“Boris Johnson cannot deny that he has presided over a period where the denial of the existence of stark, overt racism in the NHS has cost lives of people who are simply working to support those who are sick and vulnerable.“
These are the words of a senior NHS manager, who has asked to remain anonymous.
“The lack of PPE and the sacrifice of [Black, Asian and minority ethnic] staff in the Covid-19 pandemic will forever characterise the reign of Boris Johnson and evidence that he and the government – which has led us on a merry dance of death – have blood on their hands.
“If the racial inequalities [in society] that were known about had been addressed, then the disproportionate impact would not have been so stark.”
There have so far been more than 56,000...
