David Lammy asks why 'black lives still matter less' in the UK in passionate speech to MPs

Labour MP, David Lammy, has given a passionate speech to the House of Commons on the Windrush scandal, where he asked 'why black lives matter less?'

The MP for Tottenham accused the government of "pandering to the far right" and claimed that they were responsible for "killing" black British people.

His comments come after the home secretary Sajid Javid had revealed that 18 Windrush citizens suffered detriment due to their rights to be in the UK not being recognised.

Every single one of these cases is a shocking indictment of this government’s pandering to a far-right racism, sham immigration targets and a dog whistle of the right-wing press.

The home secretary has spoken about being a second generation migrant himself. On taking this job, he promised to do whatever it takes to put this wrong right.

We are now ten months on from when this scandal broke. Not a penny has been paid out to any Windrush victim in a compensation scheme. The independent Windrush lessons review has not yet reported.

I say to you home secretary before the review is even complete, why are you deporting people?

We hear about deportation flights to Jamaica this week when you have detained up to 50 black British residents and given them open window removal notices.

Why are you deporting them given this review is not reported and there's been no compensation? How can you be confident that you are not making the same mistakes?

Movement for Justice is working with 26 of those who risk removal. 13 first came to the UK as children. 9 came under the age of 10. 11 have indefinite leave to remain. Another has a British passport.

36 British children will have their passports taken away by this charter flight. Have their parents, sorry, taken away by this charter flight. Once enslaved then colonized. And now repatriated.

Why do you say that these children should live without their parents? Why do you say that the families of black British people who have been killed by your department's incompetence that this is acceptable?

That is what happened. We are now 20 years on from the Macpherson Review which found institutional racism in this country. 

I ask the home secretary, why is it that, still in this country, black lives matter less?

Lammy has since shared a video of his speech on Twitter, which has been greeted equally with praise and shock.

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