Solidarity with Family, Friends and Community of George Floyd

We stand shoulder to shoulder with those in the US and globally who feel anger, hurt and fear after yet another instance of discriminatory state violence.

We stand in solidarity with the family, friends and community of George Floyd and their fight for justice.

#BlackLivesMatter #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd

STATEMENT FROM THE SOCIALIST CAMPAIGN GROUP OF LABOUR MPs:

“We stand in solidarity with the family, friends and community of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We in the UK cannot ignore yet another death of an unarmed Black man in police custody.

As socialist Members of Parliament, we recognise that George Floyd’s death took place in the context of centuries of social deprivation and economic extraction that have been endured by African Americans. As anti-imperialists we recognise that America has been built on the slavery, dispossession and subjugation of its African American population. As anti-racists, we stand shoulder to shoulder with all those in America and across the world who feel anger, hurt and fear after yet another instance of discriminatory state violence.

It is also crucial that we in the UK recognise that we are not immune from this disease of state-sanctioned racism. Black people disproportionately suffer from police use of force in the UK, are over-represented in the prison population and are more likely to be sent to prison than white offenders. According to INQUEST, there have been 1741 deaths following contact with the police in England & Wales since 1990 – with African, Asian and minority ethnic communities disproportionately impacted. The Runnymede Trust found that, between 1995 and 2015, no police officer was prosecuted over a Black person’s death in custody. As in America, it appears the police can act with impunity as they very rarely face criminal prosecutions.

We call on the UK government to take this opportunity to reassess the racial disparities in our criminal justice system. Now is the time to end the severe class and racial inequalities which exist across the world”

● Diane Abbott MP

● Paula Barker MP

● Apsana Begum MP

● Richard Burgon MP

● Ian Byrne MP

● Jeremy Corbyn MP

● Rachel Hopkins MP

● Imran Hussain MP

● Ian Lavery MP

● Clive Lewis MP

● John McDonnell MP

● Ian Mearns MP

● Grahame Morris MP

● Kate Osamor MP

● Kate Osborne MP

● Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP

● Zarah Sultana MP

● Jon Trickett MP

● Claudia Webbe MP

● Mick Whitley MP

● Nadia Whittome MP

● Beth Winter MP