David Lammy praised for passionately calling out Trump and systemic racism in the UK

David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham and shadow Justice minister, went on Question Time yesterday to talk about how the government has handled coronavirus.

An audience member asked why the government has taken so long to release a report showing the impact of Covid-19 on racial minorities, pointing out that the death rates for black people are disproportionately high.

Lammy responded by pointing out to the audience member that “George Floyd could be both of us.”

None of us can breath with this structural racism and discrimination in the UK. Yes, it’s very deep in America, but it’s present also in our own society.

Lammy has consistently spoken out about racism in the UK, and has previously led a review looking at the treatment and outcomes for racial minorities in the criminal justice system in the UK.

On Twitter, people thanked him for speaking out about the issue.

Even Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, chimed in to add his support.

Lammy also skewered Trump's appeals to his base.

What I would say to those who go – socially distance, take your sanitiser, wear your mask. Yes, protest. Make some noise, and take this all the way to November, because we know that Donald Trump is up to.

This is deliberate – the military, the calling for shooting, his behaviour. He’s winding up parts of his base who want to see the conflict between black and white in his country because he thinks it might keep him in office.

Lammy admitted that he didn’t go to the protest because he’s a public servant, and that he wouldn’t feel comfortable breaking lockdown guidelines after condemning Dominic Cummings for doing so.