“We will continue to speak out against the racism, ostracisation and complete disrespect by Starmer and the Labour leadership experienced by Diane.”
By Zita Holbourne
Diane Abbott has stood the test of time in politics. As an elder reaching the position of Mother of the House because she is the longest serving woman MP, she should be respected, held in high esteem and celebrated in UK Parliament as she is by Black communities.
During her decades of public service as a member of Parliament she has faced more abuse than any other politician, racism, misogyny and misogynoir – targeted because she is a Black woman.
I have experienced a huge amount myself so I know first hand what it feels like, but the levels that Diane has endured and survived, over decades is far more than most, such horrendous, relentless abuse takes great strength, resilience and determination to navigate and keep going.
“Keep Going” is exactly what Diane has done, representing her constituents in Hackney North and Stoke Newington of all races and ethnicities for almost forty years but also representing the concerns and interests of Black and deprived communities in Parliament, providing a voice, active in challenging racism, pushing for positive changes for equality and much more. She has always stood on the side of justice and equality and for working class people, consistent in her support and actions.
I know first hand, both as a trade union and community activist, that she has been there to support us, show solidarity and champion our concerns in Parliament, hosting meetings, tabling and supporting our concerns in debates, attending picket lines, amplifying campaigns and speaking out, when many others have not.
To accuse her of being racist and to suspend her is outrageous, a woman and leading politician who has dedicated her whole life to fighting racism, a woman who is on the receiving end of racism day in and day out, told by a predominantly white institution that she is racist for pointing out that different types and lived experiences of racism exist because visibility of race varies for different communities who experience racism, beggars belief, but for the fact that we have now seen it happen, before our own eyes, not once but twice.
Black led organisations including my own, BARAC UK, have always spoken out against the attacks on Diane as can be seen from the following two statements – here and here.
We will continue to speak out against the racism, ostracisation and complete disrespect by Starmer and the Labour leadership experienced by Diane. Anti-Black racism will not be tolerated and if they want to accuse anyone of a hierarchy of racism they ought to look at their own behaviours and disregard for the racism faced by Black people in the UK.
Keir Starmer’s “Island of Strangers” comment echoing the horrors of Enoch Powell’s River of Blood speech is but one recent example of his perception of migrant communities in the UK as is his White Paper on Immigration which I wrote about here and which disregards the significant contribution to UK society and the economy by migrant communities.
The way that Diane has been treated is an indication of the serious level of institutional racism that exists in the Labour Party currently and if the leadership is intent on maintaining the status quo, they should know that they cannot expect to take the Black vote for granted any longer. Those days are over. There ought to be zero tolerance of racism by Labour and if that is to be achieved, the decision makers within it need to understand that we do not all experience racism in the same way and branding those with lived experience of racism as racist, does nothing to address racism or advance race equality.
We Stand with Diane Abbott.
- Zita Holbourne is Joint National Chair of Artists Union England, Chair & Co-founder of BARAC UK, a multi-award winning equality and human rights campaigner, multidisciplinary artist and writer.
- You can sign a petition in support of Diane Abbott here.
- You can follow Zita on Instagram and follow Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC UK) on Facebook and Twitter/X.
- All images in this article are solidarity art pieces in support of Diane Abbott created Zita Holbourne.
