During an interview for the podcast Electoral Dysfunction, the former member of parliament for Labour stated that the terminology that politicians used to describe the rioters “let them off the hook.”
Thangam Debbonaire has stated that Sir Keir Starmer ought to have referred to the recent riots in England as “racist” earlier than he did.
She was “distraught” to see the riots unfurl across the United Kingdom at the beginning of this month, according to the former member of parliament for Bristol Central.
Ms. Debbonaire, who served as the shadow culture secretary in Sir Keir’s shadow cabinet prior to the election being called, expressed her desire for people to “name these riots as race riots” in her capacity as a “mixed race woman.”
Ms. Debbonaire said the following during an appearance on the Beth Rigby-hosted podcast Electoral Dysfunction: “I wanted people to name these riots as race riots. It felt like a different time had returned.” There was no anti-immigration sentiment in the air. Racists were the ones who carried out the riots.
Allegations that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had landed in the United Kingdom by boat were spread on the internet; however, they were not true.
During the time that the riots were picking up steam, Sir Keir referred to them as “far right” while also condemning the “gang of thugs” that were participating in the disruption.
“People in this country have a right to be safe, and yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted by attacks on mosques,” he said in a television speech. “I see no reason why this should be the case.” I won’t hesitate to refer to it as far-right thuggery because it has targeted other minority communities, displayed Nazi salutes in public, attacked law enforcement, and involved wanton violence and racist speech.
Ms. Debbonaire, who had been representing the Green Party in parliament since 2015, stated that although she understood why politicians had decided to classify individuals participating as “thugs,” she did not agree with the word because it allowed people to “off the hook.” She had been representing the Green Party since 2015.
“One of the things that was troubling was the label,” she explained to me.
I am aware of the reasoning behind the decision to refer to them as mindless thugs; however, I do not believe that this has been beneficial because it was not mindless. People are able to make decisions.
“For me, I’m afraid to say—and I say this with respect to my colleagues who are using that language—I get where they are—but it lets them off the hook.”
How a week of unrest unfoldedHow a week of unrest unfolded
When confronted with the prime minister’s choice of words, Ms Debbonaire expressed her disagreement. I can see the reasoning behind his decision.
“I believe that adopting a law and order approach was the correct decision.” I completely agree with him. However, it is possible for two things to be true simultaneously: advocating for a law-and-order approach while also acknowledging and addressing racism for what it is. By failing to do so, we risk unfairly grouping together individuals who are not racist but still wish to engage in discussions about migration.
Ms Debbonaire shared her personal experience of the riots, expressing her feelings of fear even though she was in India at the time.
“I felt a sense of relief when I arrived in India and found myself surrounded by people of a similar ethnicity. During my time there, I frequently communicated with my friends, expressing my distress and anxiety caused by witnessing a group of hostile individuals who were clearly singling out individuals of a different race solely based on their skin colour,” she expressed.
“It is deeply felt… It’s truly remarkable how it evokes such strong emotions when individuals who support you but may not fully understand fail to grasp the situation.
She remarked, “I find it unsettling to witness such instances of racism, although I try not to let it affect my daily routine.”
“And yes, I did want him [Sir Keir] to say earlier; I really did.”
“I hoped for my prime minister to acknowledge the impact on individuals like us who are proud patriots, value law and order, and have faith in our nation.”
According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, over 1,000 arrests have been made in connection with the ongoing unrest. 372 adults have been charged in total.