Right now, the corporate media is abusing the real issue of racism to destroy Jeremy Corbyn’s credibility. Meanwhile, the sitting home secretary has quietly gagged black people from exposing his government.
Gagging orders
The home office refused to say how many Windrush victims it had asked to sign so-called ‘gagging orders’. But it did confirm that at least one victim had signed one, known as a non-disclosure agreement.
The Windrush generation came from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after WWII and have worked here ever since. Under the Conservatives’ ‘hostile environment’ for immigrants, they’ve been denied healthcare, fired from their jobs, evicted, detained and deported.
Despite such suffering, Windrush victims are apparently only receiving compensation now in return for their silence, the Morning Star reports. Otherwise, it’s unclear how long they will have to wait. The government won’t even make a decision on how the compensation scheme will work until the end of the year.
‘Buying the silence’
Only three weeks ago, Sajid Javid told parliament:
No-one will be asked to sign any kind of non-disclosure agreement or anything like that.
Responding to the revelation that’s not true, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said:
The Home Office must not attempt to buy the silence of citizens who have been so shockingly wronged and had their rights so gravely infringed in return for compensation that they are entitled to.
It is totally unacceptable for the Home Office to impose non-disclosure agreements and gag those who have suffered at the hands of the hostile environment in order to cover up the true scale of the Windrush scandal.
May tries to celebrate Jamaican immigration
While her government tramples on the rights of Caribbean immigrants, Theresa May wrote:
Today marks 56 years of Jamaican independence. The contribution of Jamaicans in the UK and abroad is huge – long may that continue #JamaicanIndependenceDay 🇯🇲
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 6, 2018
People were quick to call out May, who introduced the hostile immigration policies as home secretary:
— Anita (@a_nitak) August 6, 2018
Labour MP Clive Lewis tweeted:
‘Long may that continue.. ‘ if you’re not being hunted down like a stray dog, stripped of your civil rights and deported in handcuffs… #Windrush https://t.co/1j6QUcbEAo
— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) August 6, 2018
And shadow minister for women and equalities Dawn Butler wrote:
Are You kidding me! You are really taking the **** This week we learn that before any compensation is awarded to those you showed no compassion or respect to you want them to sign a non disclosure agreement. Explain yourself Prime Minister.https://t.co/Jhi5KVtXn5
— Dawn Butler ✊🏾💙 (@DawnButlerBrent) August 6, 2018
Others compared May’s words with the gagging orders:
#Irony is dead! @sajidjavid is currently trying to buy the silence of the #Windrush victims of YOUR #hostileenvironment policies, pushed through by YOU despite clear warnings they would target, among others, British Jamaicans #JamaicanIndependenceDay
— Pen Jf (@Humdiha) August 6, 2018
While the media is busy trying to stain the Corbyn-led movement, the current government is seemingly getting away with silencing black people. The way government policy treated the Windrush generation is shocking. And now, it seems they won’t even receive compensation this year unless they sign gagging orders.
Fortunately for Javid, the media doesn’t need such a non-disclosure agreement. Editors are too focused on attacking Corbyn to even report on the actual government silencing oppressed minorities.
Get Involved!
– Join us, so we can keep holding the powerful to account.
– Read more from The Canary about the Windrush scandal.
Featured image via BisgovUK, Flickr
