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LIB DEM peer Baroness Floella Benjamin has accused the government of “casting a shadow” over 75th anniversary celebrations of the arrival of Empire Windrush to Britain.
The peer and children’s TV presenter, who arrived in Britain from Trinidad at the age of 10 in 1960, said she has been met with silence from PM Rishi Sunak after raising concerns about reports that pledges made in the wake of the Windrush citizenship scandal are to be abandoned.
Speaking during a debate on the Windrush arrival anniversary in the Lords, Baroness Benjamin said: “This silence and uncertainty is casting a shadow on the plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary joyfully.
“My Lords, it feels like an insult to people like myself and the hundreds of others who have dedicated their lives to his country and have made a difference to other people’s lives.”
The peer said it was up to the government to “show they really care about the feelings of the Windrush generation” ahead of the anniversary on June 22.
She also called on ministers to lay out their plans to mark the celebrations.
Communities Minister Baroness Jane Scott claimed, in response, that the Home Office is making “making real progress” on implementing recommendations from Wendy Williams’s Lessons Learnt Review, despite reports several are being dropped.
She added that funding for a grant scheme for community groups to mark the day has been increased from £500,000 to £750,000.
A new stamp and 50 pence coin will also be unveiled this year to honour the contribution of British Caribbeans 75 years on from the arrival of the Empire Windrush to Tilbury docks.
However peers and campaigners have called on the government to go much further.
Prominent anti-racism campaigner Zita Holbourne said ministers must introduce an “amnesty” for the children and grandchildren of the Windrush generation who are still subjected to hostile environment policies.
She added that there should be a public holiday for Windrush Day and “actions to address the legacies of colonialism and systemic racism.”
