TORY hypocrisy over the treatment of Caribbean workers who helped rebuild Britain’s war-torn economy in the late 1940s came under fire from Windrush solidarity campaigners at the weekend.

The government has awarded £1 million for the creation of a monument commemorating the arrival of the first 500 Caribbean workers on the vessel Empire Windrush, which arrived at Tilbury Docks in London on June 22 1948.

The announcement came as celebrations took place across Britain on Saturday for Windrush Day, which marks the 71st anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush workers.

However Prime Minister Theresa May has overseen the imprisonment and deportation of workers from the Empire Windrush, and others who arrived later, through the Tories’ “hostile environment” policy against immigrants.

While home secretary she was also behind a government initiative that saw mobile billboards telling foreign workers to “go home.”

Windrush pressure group Movement for Justice national organiser Karen Doyle said: “Memorialising the arrival and contribution of the Windrush generation is important and welcome.

“However a gesture in bronze and steel feels empty and meaningless from a government that championed the hostile environment bringing destitution, detention, deportation, exile and death to this important generation.”

She said that a fitting monument to the Windrush workers would be “ripping up the hostile environment polices” imposed by the Tories.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The Windrush generation have made an enormous contribution to our country and to the success of our great city, influencing almost every aspect of our culture and modern life. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.

“But the disgraceful way the Windrush generation and their families have been treated by the government is a national scandal.”