Health secretary Matt Hancock has criticised dozens of ethnic minority Labour MPs of engaging in “identity politics” after they accused the government of writing off the concerns of Black Lives Matter protesters.
Thirty-one Labour MPs, all from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, had written to the home secretary Priti Patel after she condemned demonstrators for breaking social distancing rules and toppling a statue of a slave trader.
In the House of Commons this week Ms Patel had rejected claims that the government did not understand why people were upset about racial inequality and recalled racist abuse she had received as a woman from a British Asian background.
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She told MPs that she would “not take lectures” from the opposition and explained how she had been subjected to racial epithets in the playground during her time at school.
But her approach in the chamber provoked anger among other MPs, who accused her of trying to “gaslight other minority communities” and using her experience to minimise their concerns.
The 31 MPs’ letter to Ms Patel said that “being a person of colour does not make you an authority on all forms of racism”.
They urged her to “reflect on your words and to consider the impact it had towards black communities in the UK trying to highlight their voices against racism”.
“We all have our personal stories, of the racism that we have faced, whether it has been being defined by the colour of our skin or the faith we choose to believe in,” the MPs wrote.
“Our shared experiences allow us to feel the pain that communities feel, when they face racism, they allow us to show solidarity towards a common cause; they do not allow us to define, silence, or impede on the feeling that other minority groups may face.”
Ms Patel reacted angrily to the letter, posting it on social media and tweeting: “Sad to have just received this letter. I will not be silenced by Labour MPs who continue to dismiss the contributions of those who don’t conform to their view of how ethnic minorities should behave.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock backed Ms Patel at a Downing Street press conference on Thursday and claimed her Labour critics were engaging in “identity politics”.
The home secretary addresses the Commons (AFP/Getty)
“Of course Priti Patel was not wrong to talk of her personal experiences of racism. I have seen this letter and I abhor this divisive identity politics that’s being levelled at Priti Patel,” he said.
“I am incredibly proud to be part of the most diverse government in history. I am very proud to be part of that with Priti and Rishi and Alok and Nadhim (Zahawi) and Kemi (Badenoch) and Ranil (Jayawardena) and James (Cleverly) and Suella (Braverman) and all the rest.
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1/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London, in memory of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 while in police custody in the US city of Minneapolis
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2/79 A girl wears a face mask during a Black Lives Matter rally in Parliament Square
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3/79 People are seen by a mural of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Stevenson Square, Manchester
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4/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
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5/79 Children pose for their family in front of discarded placards fixed on a wall in Piccadilly Gardens after a Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Manchester
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6/79 People shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter rally in Parliament Square
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7/79 Demonstrators in Leicester
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8/79 A demonstrator holds up a placard during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square
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9/79 A demonstrator gestures during a Black Lives Matter protest in Manchester
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10/79 A mounted police officer raises their baton as police horses ride along Whitehall, past the entrance to Downing Street, in an attempt to disperse protestors gathered in central London
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11/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff
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12/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road, London
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13/79 Protesters hold up signs as they march along a road during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury
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14/79 People climbing on top of the Queen Victoria Statue as they take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
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15/79 Children pose for a photo during a Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament Square
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16/79 Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London
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17/79 Protesters demonstrate near the the US Embassy in Nine Elms in London
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18/79 Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square
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19/79 Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester
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20/79 A demonstrator is seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square
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21/79 Demonstrators are seen as police officers look on during a Black Lives Matter protest near Downing street in London
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22/79 Demonstrators are seen wth police liaison officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in Luton
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23/79 A protest at Parliament Square in London
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24/79 A demonstrator in Leicester
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25/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square
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26/79 Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester
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27/79 Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station
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28/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Custom House Square, Belfast
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29/79 Police on horseback in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
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30/79 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square
AFP via Getty Images
31/79 Demonstrators throw flares above a police line during a Black Lives Matter march in London
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32/79 People climbing on top of the Queen Victoria Statue as they take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
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33/79 Demonstrators raise their hands facing police officers after scuffles during a Black Lives Matter march in London
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34/79 People are seen placing placards on a fence in London
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35/79 A demonstrator is seen with a protective face mask during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
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36/79 A sign alternatively naming Wilson Street ‘Rosa Parks Street’ in Glasgow. Activists have put up names of black people and civil rights activists throughout history alongside street names around the Scottish centre as part of the ongoing worldwide demonstrations following the death of George Floyd
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37/79 Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen with demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
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38/79 Demonstrators gather outside Downing Street
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39/79 Demonstrators kneel facing police officers after scuffles during a Black Lives Matter march in London
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40/79 Demonstrators lay on the pavement during a Black Lives Matter rally at Trafalgar Square
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41/79 A protester stands on bus stop and raises their hand during a Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament Square
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42/79 Protesters holding placards gather in Manchester
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43/79 A man gestures during a Black Lives Matter march in in London
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44/79 Girls hold placards in London
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45/79 A demonstrator in Parliament Square
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46/79 A demonstrator wearing a protective face mask during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester
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47/79 A protest placard is affixed to the plinth of a statue of the Duke of Wellington on the second day of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Piccadilly Gardens
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48/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Deansgate, Manchester
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49/79 Demonstrators stage a Black Lives Matter Protest in Leicester city centre
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50/79 A demonstrator points towards a mounted police officer laying in the road after being unseated from their horse, during a demonstration on Whitehall, near the entrance to Downing Street
AFP via Getty Images
51/79 A ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) protest at Parliament Square
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52/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
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53/79 Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
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54/79 Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square
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55/79 Protests at Parliament Square in London
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56/79 A demonstrator holds a placard during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
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57/79 Demonstrators hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
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58/79 Protesters hold placards as they march through central London
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59/79 Demonstrators in Parliament Square
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60/79 Protesters kneel as they hold placards during a demonstration in Manchester
AFP via Getty Images
61/79 A mother and son hold up a sign during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury
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62/79 A protest march in Manchester
AFP via Getty Images
63/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
Gemma Fox/The Independent
64/79 Demonstrators are seen standing on top of a bus stop wearing protective face masks and face coverings as the Black Lives Matter protesters march to the Home Office in London
REUTERS
65/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
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66/79 Demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest in Manchester are seen by a mural of George Floyd
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67/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
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68/79 A demonstrator is seen wearing a protective face mask as the Black Lives Matter protesters march to the Home Office in London
REUTERS
69/79 Protest in Parliament Square
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70/79 Demonstrators with a flare are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest near Downing street in London
REUTERS
71/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff
PA
72/79 Protesters hold up signs during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury
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73/79 A protester raises his arm during a second day of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Piccadilly Gardens
Getty Images
74/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff
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75/79 Placards are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square
REUTERS
76/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
77/79 Protesters holding placards gather at the Queen Victoria monument for a second day of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Piccadilly Gardens
Getty Images
78/79 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Manchester
AFP via Getty Images
79/79 A woman kneels during a Black Lives Matter rally in London
AP
1/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London, in memory of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 while in police custody in the US city of Minneapolis
PA
2/79 A girl wears a face mask during a Black Lives Matter rally in Parliament Square
AP
3/79 People are seen by a mural of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Stevenson Square, Manchester
REUTERS
4/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
5/79 Children pose for their family in front of discarded placards fixed on a wall in Piccadilly Gardens after a Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Manchester
Getty Images
6/79 People shout slogans during a Black Lives Matter rally in Parliament Square
AP
7/79 Demonstrators in Leicester
REUTERS
8/79 A demonstrator holds up a placard during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square
REUTERS
9/79 A demonstrator gestures during a Black Lives Matter protest in Manchester
REUTERS
10/79 A mounted police officer raises their baton as police horses ride along Whitehall, past the entrance to Downing Street, in an attempt to disperse protestors gathered in central London
AFP via Getty Images
11/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff
PA
12/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally march on Vauxhall Bridge Road, London
PA
13/79 Protesters hold up signs as they march along a road during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury
Getty Images
14/79 People climbing on top of the Queen Victoria Statue as they take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
15/79 Children pose for a photo during a Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament Square
Getty Images
16/79 Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest march to the US Embassy in London
AFP via Getty Images
17/79 Protesters demonstrate near the the US Embassy in Nine Elms in London
Getty Images
18/79 Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square
PA
19/79 Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester
Reuters
20/79 A demonstrator is seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square
REUTERS
21/79 Demonstrators are seen as police officers look on during a Black Lives Matter protest near Downing street in London
REUTERS
22/79 Demonstrators are seen wth police liaison officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in Luton
REUTERS
23/79 A protest at Parliament Square in London
EPA
24/79 A demonstrator in Leicester
REUTERS
25/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square
PA
26/79 Demonstrators wearing protective face masks and face coverings hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester
REUTERS
27/79 Demonstrators block traffic outside Victoria Station
AP
28/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Custom House Square, Belfast
PA
29/79 Police on horseback in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
PA
30/79 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Parliament Square
AFP via Getty Images
31/79 Demonstrators throw flares above a police line during a Black Lives Matter march in London
AP
32/79 People climbing on top of the Queen Victoria Statue as they take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
33/79 Demonstrators raise their hands facing police officers after scuffles during a Black Lives Matter march in London
AP
34/79 People are seen placing placards on a fence in London
REUTERS
35/79 A demonstrator is seen with a protective face mask during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
REUTERS
36/79 A sign alternatively naming Wilson Street ‘Rosa Parks Street’ in Glasgow. Activists have put up names of black people and civil rights activists throughout history alongside street names around the Scottish centre as part of the ongoing worldwide demonstrations following the death of George Floyd
PA
37/79 Boxer Anthony Joshua is seen with demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
REUTERS
38/79 Demonstrators gather outside Downing Street
AP
39/79 Demonstrators kneel facing police officers after scuffles during a Black Lives Matter march in London
AP
40/79 Demonstrators lay on the pavement during a Black Lives Matter rally at Trafalgar Square
AP
41/79 A protester stands on bus stop and raises their hand during a Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament Square
Getty Images
42/79 Protesters holding placards gather in Manchester
Getty Images
43/79 A man gestures during a Black Lives Matter march in in London
AP
44/79 Girls hold placards in London
AP
45/79 A demonstrator in Parliament Square
REUTERS
46/79 A demonstrator wearing a protective face mask during a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester
REUTERS
47/79 A protest placard is affixed to the plinth of a statue of the Duke of Wellington on the second day of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Piccadilly Gardens
Getty Images
48/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Deansgate, Manchester
PA
49/79 Demonstrators stage a Black Lives Matter Protest in Leicester city centre
EPA
50/79 A demonstrator points towards a mounted police officer laying in the road after being unseated from their horse, during a demonstration on Whitehall, near the entrance to Downing Street
AFP via Getty Images
51/79 A ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) protest at Parliament Square
EPA
52/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
53/79 Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
PA
54/79 Protesters in Whitehall following a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square
PA
55/79 Protests at Parliament Square in London
EPA
56/79 A demonstrator holds a placard during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
REUTERS
57/79 Demonstrators hold placards during a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford
REUTERS
58/79 Protesters hold placards as they march through central London
Getty Images
59/79 Demonstrators in Parliament Square
REUTERS
60/79 Protesters kneel as they hold placards during a demonstration in Manchester
AFP via Getty Images
61/79 A mother and son hold up a sign during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury
Getty Images
62/79 A protest march in Manchester
AFP via Getty Images
63/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
Gemma Fox/The Independent
64/79 Demonstrators are seen standing on top of a bus stop wearing protective face masks and face coverings as the Black Lives Matter protesters march to the Home Office in London
REUTERS
65/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
66/79 Demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest in Manchester are seen by a mural of George Floyd
REUTERS
67/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Parliament Square, London
PA
68/79 A demonstrator is seen wearing a protective face mask as the Black Lives Matter protesters march to the Home Office in London
REUTERS
69/79 Protest in Parliament Square
REUTERS
70/79 Demonstrators with a flare are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest near Downing street in London
REUTERS
71/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff
PA
72/79 Protesters hold up signs during a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Aylesbury
Getty
73/79 A protester raises his arm during a second day of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Piccadilly Gardens
Getty Images
74/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Bute Park, Cardiff
PA
75/79 Placards are seen during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square
REUTERS
76/79 People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
PA
77/79 Protesters holding placards gather at the Queen Victoria monument for a second day of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Piccadilly Gardens
Getty Images
78/79 Protesters hold placards as they attend a demonstration in Manchester
AFP via Getty Images
79/79 A woman kneels during a Black Lives Matter rally in London
AP
“We don’t think that there’s such a thing as the wrong type of Bame, we think that people are equal. That’s what we need to see as a society, everybody seeing others as equal.”
Protests have taken place in major cities around the UK against racial discrimination and inequality, sparked by mass demonstrations in the United States under the heading Black Lives Matter.
The US protests were initially called after the killing of George Floyd, a Minneapolis black man, by a city police officer. The movement has however spread worldwide and become an outlet for discontent at institutional and systemic racism.
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk