platform by Kingsley Abrams, assistant secretary of Labour Party Black Section, by Jagun shegun from the St Pauls Community Association in Bristol, by Stafford Scott of the Broadwater Farm Youth Association, and by Rose Alaso of Leeds Labour Party who is under threat of deportation.
Defending the black munities, said Grant, WHO ARE we defending the black communities against? We are talking about the defence of the black communities against racism. We are talking about that in the context of what is happening in Britain today, in the context of a Tory government that is attacking all sections of this society.
We are talking about a Tory government that has attacked the miners, we are talking about a lorv government that is attacking women, we are talking aboul a lory government lal Is allack ing young people, we are talking about a Tory government that is attacking the teachers, we are talking about a Tory government that is attacking employed alu uncutoloyca bcovic allu we dic talking about a government that is attacking black people. We must look at black people in the context of all those attacks on all those other sections. We have to be clear what we are saying, and we have got to be even clearer about what we're going to do about it.
The attacks on black people, on the left wing, and on the working class are part of a general attack tal is going on throughout the world. At last Reagan has been spotted as the liar he is. This man, together with Thatcher, has attacked black people internationally in South Africa, Central America and in tiny Grenada.
When we talk about attacks on black people and about defending the black community, as far as black people are concenca were larking about the wiernational black community. South Africa is free then black people in this country are not going to be tree Let's be clear about that. But I am go. ing to lmit mv contribution todav to some of the things that have been happening in Britain.
First we need to look at some of the things that have happened in the past, Labour manifesto we published last May at why black people are here in Britain. I'm not going through that history, the history of the Europeans, to find out why we are in this situation.
For example in the '50s and '60s the relations board OTI Inal became concerned at the numbers of black people that were coming here. 'We have to be careful, we have to digest them one mouthful at a time,' they said. If you examine that statement you understand how white people feel about black people within this country. They don't want us here in any numbers. They have to make sure that the few that are here are denied our rights. In a debate on immigration Callaghan sala we have to have coloured workers to pay for our people when they get old. Black people know that as far as the British white establishment is concerned we are here to be the donkeys of this country. We are here to be the beasts of burden, as a Labour prime minister put it.
What black people are saying, course, is that we are not prepared to take this situation. That is what the speakers on the platform are saying when they talk about their particular experience — like Rose in Leeds being ths — a tide which the Parliamentary Labour Party Akin- take up. And if 'Black Sections weren't there, the Labour leadership wouldn't have to answer to some of the charges that the black communities are levelling against them,' he explained.
com- We reprint below an edited vermeans sion of Bernie Grant's speech.
deported by this disgraceful government, like Jagun from Bristol explaining the pressure that youth are under, like Stafford from the Farm about the way in which the people's lives are being totally destroyed by the fact that they are unable to get a job.
No one is saying that the Labour Party is the same as the government, but it seems to black people that the two work hand in hand. Kingsley from Black Sections talked about the fact that was lne which laid the ground-work for 1981 Nationality Act and about all the other racist legislation they enacted. So when we talk about Tories and Labour hand, whilst Labour is not saying exactly the same thing as the right wing it is following very far behind.
But before we examine the Labour Party's role, let us look at the general climate.
We have just seen the disgraceful introduction of a visas system against five black countries. Incidentally the only other people who require visas to come to Britain are from Libya and from the Eastern bloc countries, for different reasons.
Tories introduce these restrictions but media deliberately hysteria around the shameful episode at London airport when hundreds of peopie were just lett hanging around mere. ly tor the benefit of a few racist immigration officials. And let us be clear Unless that the new unions the Tory government has sponsored within migration service are directly responsible for these immigration restrictions. The introduction of visa restrictions nas been accompanied by local authorities from the government, Labour front bench. As leader of Har"Everything we're doing in Haringey is within the — on which we had an increased majority and on which we routed the Tories. We • gave the lories a bloody good licking at the last election.
ingey council I have become accustomin any ed to media attacks.
Since 6 October last year Haringey has been under constant attack. government and the media single out Haringey. The media are rendering a time service to a whole number of people They are helping the government by clouding the issue, trying to make us believe it is one of violence by black youth against the police when the youth are mere v reacting to the situation ther are in because of the policies of this government.
I read in the paper recently that Bernie Grant should "burn in hell'. I've got news for the government: black people Tottenham are living in hell, tenham is hell to a lot of black people. London is hell, Britain is hell for a lot of black people ment is the one that is making our lives hell. Hell is nothing new for us. We are in it now, and unless something drastic happens, we are going to remain there of in the future.
Haringey has decided to have a massive campaign on inequality, not only on the basis of race but on the basis of gender, on the basis of age, on the basis of disability, on the basis of has failed to talking Labour government the we know that not them.
sexual orientation.
Haringey, inequalities.
and Sri Lanka Not only did the whipped in Haringey the imallacks on from the media, and on which we routed the Tories.
and from the jority from 13 to 25 council seats.
by frightening people people who are frightened by The Merle Amory. boroughs aren't frightened VOLCIL scenario we're into Totare trying and the Tory governwith lies and distortion.
the Daily Mail carried tell you something, I got a number of calls from Irish people who objected.) That story is not true. We wrote a letter saying so and asked for an apology. The Daily Mail categorically refused. So we are taking them to the capitalist courts.
Although there was no foundation for their story now they are going to cycly singic volunlar group in the borough to find out if any council of ficer has ever threatened to withdraw their grants or if they have ever heard any mention of green sheep. The whole borough is full of Daily Mail reporters harassing people to try and find some substance for their story.
The Mirror is a bit more clever. It attacked our policy of equality for les local bians and gay men. The Mirror saic that Haringey banned any mention of the words family life in schools. Once we pointed out that that was not the case they published an apology But when Ridley attacks councils ir the House of Commons then we have to take note. We have to deal with that in a different way. The Tories talk about the 'stench of socialism' coming from the They such heavy language in dealing with serious and sensitive issues - like the case of les.
and gays being beaten up and within our borough When the Tories in parliament start to make a тоскету or serious Issues and attack Labour councils we have a right to expect our front bench spokesperdefend and defend the policies we are carrying out are in line We don't expect a mealey-mouthed response, the sort of rubbish we hear from Cunningham.
The front bench must clearly say the the Tory Party is racist. It is racist, for black it wants to deport people like Rose while white South Africans can come here any day of the week. It is racist because it attacks young black people who have little or no hope in this society, and who can see no other way forward than to take on the forces that oppress them. It is racist when it picks out for attack, from amongst all Labour council leaders t London, Haringey council which has whic has a black leader, Brent council whic has a black leader, and when it goes a to attack by name two black parliam tary candidates, myself and Dianne AL bott. The Thatcher government is raci when it does that - and I want Labot front bench spokespersons come out and take the Tories up I had a meeting with Neil Kinnoc last ariday wich ne came to lay wreath in memory of Mrs Jarrett. told me that the front bench was goin the question! racism, to take on Margaret Thatch specifically on the question of racist If that happens I will be pleased bi andl want all of you here today to mo resolutions in your GCs demanding t front bench take on Thatcher ticularly on the issue of racism authorities That is Thatch Achilles heel, the area where we've g the most ammunition against the Ton and where we've got to attack them.
There are many other examples a Tory racism. For instance in Ealin Tory spokespersons have singled out fe attack only black councillors, Valerie Vaz, in a clearly racist way.
"When the Tories make ai attack Labour councils wes bench to defend us and defi out in line wi When talk about defendin black communities we are talking fir of all about allowing the black peopl the space, the right, and the resources l defend themselves. Black peopl callying oul unc most desperate and death struggle. You need only tal to some of the young people in the in ner London boroughs to find out ho desperate that struggle is.
The Tories attack in parliament oi council leaders is nothing co pared to the racism that some ofo own youth have to put up with. Wh they stand at the bus stop people wa away from them as if they were going t be attacked They come up against load of racists in the DHSS. They walk down the road and get harassed by the police. They get racism every minute o the day.
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