Dear Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner,
It's been over six months now since the racist riots. Since people of colour were attacked and since asylum hotels were set alight.
The violence of last summer didn't take place in a vacuum. It was a product of years of dehumanisation and vilification of migrant and Muslim communities in the UK.
Time and time again, politicians in successive governments have used marginalised groups as scapegoats to distract people from their failings in addressing poverty and inequality. The riots were the violent brunt of years of racist, Islamophobic and anti-migrant narratives normalised by those in power.
Your Government was elected with a promise of change. But, right now, you're leaving far-right hate unchecked. Arresting individuals responsible for the hate crimes is not enough to prevent similar acts of violence erupting in the future. What's worse, you're continuing the tired tactics of division and performative cruelty in your policies and language towards migrants and refugees.
We're seriously concerned about the growing polarisation within and between our communities and we're fearful about the possibility of future violence. That's why we, the undersigned, are calling on you as the Minister for Communities to deliver a bold and robust plan to challenge the threat of far-right violence in our communities.
Click here to read more.Challenging the far-right is not simply a question of tackling online misinformation, or increased police surveillance and arrests, but requires a wholesale shift in our political culture, language and policies. The government must urgently address the scale of this crisis and ensure that all people and communities of colour are protected.
As Runneymede previously called for, alongside 80 other organisations, this means consulting the racial justice and migrant rights sector to develop a long-term antiracist strategy. Crucially, it means acknowledging the role that hostile language and policies towards Muslims and migrant communities play in fuelling the far-right.
Together, we can build a country of strong and diverse communities where we all feel safe and a sense of belonging. Are you ready to lead the way?
Yours sincerely,
The Undersigned