‘Pride in Britain’: Labour's Lord Boateng says we should ‘celebrate’ Rishi Sunak as the UK’s first Prime Minister of colour
25 October 2022, 11:30
We've 'shown the world you can have a truly multi-racial democracy'
“Britain has shown the world you can have a truly multi-racial democracy”, says Lord Boateng, as he reflects on what this means for the UK internationally.
Labour Peer Lord Boateng told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC that the news of Rishi Sunak’s appointment as the first Prime Minister of colour is something to be celebrated.
Nick Ferrari asked: “What emotion went through your heart when it was actually confirmed Mr Sunak is the PM?”
“Pride, pride Nick. Pride in Britain”, came Lord Boateng’s reply.
“Britain has shown the world that you can have a truly multi-racial democracy- it’s something I’ve fought for all my life.”
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He added: “We have had people of colour as Chancellor, as Foreign Secretary. That says something about Britain and the British people and we should be proud of that.”
Looking at what the historical moment means on an international level, Nick asked: “Lord Boateng, what is the message it sends around the world do you think?”
The Labour Peer replied: “I think it shows that modern Britain is diverse Britain.
“It shows that we have a mature political democracy that can build on the positives of the past but create something new.”
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Echoing the words of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, he added that it is “something in which we can genuinely say people can be judged not by 'the colour of their skin but by the content of their character’”.
“What we now have to do, building on that, is to make sure that not just in politics but in every aspect of British life people are treated fairly”, he asserted.
“Racial justice is embedded in every aspect of our national life and consciousness, but today is a moment of celebration and we should do that.”
Reflecting on this conversation, Nick Ferrari pointed out that the first Prime Minister, the first Chancellor, first Health Secretary, first Foreign Secretary, all of colour, and the first woman Prime Minister, have all been appointed under the Tories.
“Why would it appear that they, the Conservatives, are so far ahead of the Labour Party, and does it finally put to bed the suggestion that there is some kind of vile racist streak within the Conservative Party?”, he wondered.
“What does it say more generally- are we now a nation actually, actually, at peace with ourselves?”, he concluded.
The discussion prompted a reaction on Twitter.
The Tory party has shown the world.. Labour have never had a women or ethnic minority leader.
— ESH (@malbisse) October 25, 2022
It’s not a democracy until he’s been voted in, nobody voted for him, I’d bet 90% of the country didn’t even know he was when they voted last time he’s now the most powerful person in the country with 0 scrutiny from electorate #GeneralElectionNow
— Shane Levitt (@ShaneLevitt11) October 25, 2022
It would've been better had Rishi actually been elected, but yes, this is still a step forward. Let's see what Tory policy does for ethnic minorities in this country... currently we don't know what the policies are, Rishi won't tell us
— Kuy Von Braun (@KuyVon) October 25, 2022
