Boris Johnson has hailed the US as a “bastion of peace and freedom” amid widespread Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality.
The prime minister was challenged over whether he believed Donald Trump had “many, many good qualities” following international criticism at the US president’s response to the demonstrations over the death of George Floyd.
Mr Johnson said the death of Mr Floyd at the hands of police was “absolutely appalling” and reiterated his support for the Black Lives Matter movement during a prime minister’s questions exchange with the SNP’s Kirsty Blackman.
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However he struggled to come up with personal praise for Mr Trump, saying he is “the president of the United States which is our most important ally in the word today”.
The prime minister went on: “Whatever people may say about it, whatever those on the left may say about it, the US is a bastion of peace and freedom and has been for most of my lifetime.”
Mr Johnson was urged to “turbo charge” the government’s response to racial inequality in the UK, with Labour pointing to more than seven reports over the past three years which resulted in limited progress.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “There have been at least seven reports into racial inequality in the last three years alone but precious little action. For example, most of the recommendations in the Lammy Report into inequality in the criminal justice system have yet to be implemented three years after the report was published.”
He added: “So will the prime minister now turbocharge the government’s responses and tell us when he’ll implement in full the Lammy Report and the Windrush recommendations?”
1/21
An aerial photo made with a drone shows a large group gathered in Union Park to protest the arrest of George Floyd, who later died in police custody, in Chicago, Illinois
EPA
2/21
A large group marching and chanting in Chicago, Illinois
EPA/Tannen Maury
3/21
Protesters gather along the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and Eakins Oval during a protest
AP
4/21
Demonstrators try to block a freeway during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York
REUTERS
5/21
Thousands of demonstrators march across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
REUTERS
6/21
Demonstrators gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington
REUTERS
7/21
Demonstrators march down Flatbush Avenue toward the Manhattan Bridge chanting slogans
REUTERS
8/21
Protesters take part in a demonstration to protest in support of the George Floyd protests in the United States, and also to commemorate a similar circumstance in France when Adama Traore, a 24-year-old Frenchman was killed in 2016 by police, during an rally in Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
EPA
9/21
Demonstrators attend a protest in Berlin, Germany
FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
10/21
Demonstrators protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Sydney
RON SHAMGAR via REUTERS
11/21
Demonstrators attend a Black Lives Matter protest to express solidarity with US protestors in Sydney
AFP via Getty Images
12/21
People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, UK
PA
13/21
People wearing masks hold placards during a protest march over the alleged police abuse of a Turkish man, in echoes of a Black Lives Matter protest, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, in Tokyo
REUTERS/Issei Kato
14/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality in Frankfurt
REUTERS
15/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany
REUTERS
16/21
People stand in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds in tribute to George Floyd during a protest against racism and police brutality in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Getty Images
17/21
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany
AP
18/21
Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
19/21
Demonstrators cross the River Thames via Vauxhall Bridge as they march to protest outside the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
20/21
Demonstrators gather for a protest against racism and police violence in Lisbon
AP
21/21
Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen on crutches with demonstrators in Watford, Britain
REUTERS
1/21
An aerial photo made with a drone shows a large group gathered in Union Park to protest the arrest of George Floyd, who later died in police custody, in Chicago, Illinois
EPA
2/21
A large group marching and chanting in Chicago, Illinois
EPA/Tannen Maury
3/21
Protesters gather along the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and Eakins Oval during a protest
AP
4/21
Demonstrators try to block a freeway during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York
REUTERS
5/21
Thousands of demonstrators march across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
REUTERS
6/21
Demonstrators gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington
REUTERS
7/21
Demonstrators march down Flatbush Avenue toward the Manhattan Bridge chanting slogans
REUTERS
8/21
Protesters take part in a demonstration to protest in support of the George Floyd protests in the United States, and also to commemorate a similar circumstance in France when Adama Traore, a 24-year-old Frenchman was killed in 2016 by police, during an rally in Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
EPA
9/21
Demonstrators attend a protest in Berlin, Germany
FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
10/21
Demonstrators protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Sydney
RON SHAMGAR via REUTERS
11/21
Demonstrators attend a Black Lives Matter protest to express solidarity with US protestors in Sydney
AFP via Getty Images
12/21
People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, UK
PA
13/21
People wearing masks hold placards during a protest march over the alleged police abuse of a Turkish man, in echoes of a Black Lives Matter protest, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, in Tokyo
REUTERS/Issei Kato
14/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality in Frankfurt
REUTERS
15/21
Demonstrators attend a protest against police brutality at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany
REUTERS
16/21
People stand in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds in tribute to George Floyd during a protest against racism and police brutality in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Getty Images
17/21
Thousands of people demonstrate in Cologne, Germany
AP
18/21
Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
19/21
Demonstrators cross the River Thames via Vauxhall Bridge as they march to protest outside the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
20/21
Demonstrators gather for a protest against racism and police violence in Lisbon
AP
21/21
Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen on crutches with demonstrators in Watford, Britain
REUTERS
Mr Johnson replied: “Of course I understand, as I said, I understand the very strong and legitimate feelings of people in this country at the death of George Floyd and of course I agree that black lives matter.
“And we are getting on with the implementation, and not just of the Lammy Report, but also the report into Windrush.”
He added: “But I must stress that on the Lammy Report and on all these matters it is absolutely vital at the same time that we keep our streets safe and that we back our police – and that is what we are going to do.”
The prime minister said the government was “already acting” to mitigate the risks of coronavirus among black and minority ethnic communities, who have been harder hit by the virus.
He said the government was working to ensure that “those high-contact professions get expanded and targeted testing now”, as frontline workers such as bus drivers and shop workers have been particularly affected.
