The Manston saga already proves Sunak isn’t going to end racism

It’s been a little over a week since Rishi Sunak became prime minister of the UK. His appointment has since been lauded in the mainstream media as a progressive victory. As the first PM who happens to be Hindu and British-Asian, his existence is meant to signal an end to racism in Britain as we know it.

So much so that Sunak refused to even acknowledge being at the receiving end of racism when he became prime minister. Responding to a skit by American TV host Trevor Noah, Sunak said he did not believe Britain was racist. But more than his words, Sunak’s actions over the past week have made abundantly clear what his government will mean for race relations in the UK.

Most prominent among these was Sunak’s re-appointment of Suella Braverman in the role of Home Secretary. Braverman was similarly hailed as a win for diversity because of her Indian and Buddhist background. But even before her breaches of ministerial code came to light, she had made a name for herself as someone who was pathologically obsessed with the idea of deporting refugees to Rwanda.

''It’s fair to say that politicians such as Sunak, Patel and Braverman, as well as Kemi Badenoch, Kwasi Kwarteng and Sajid Javid, among others, aren’t in parliament to serve working class communities that may be commonly affiliated with their immigrant backgrounds. Rather their policies and respective parliamentary voting records, as well as their membership of a party responsible for pushing Brexit to effectively ‘make Britain great again’, shows where their loyalties lie.''

Over the past week, Braverman’s patent lack of humanity has made itself increasingly obvious. She is directly responsible for overcrowding and disease outbreaks at the Manston migrant detention centre. Yet so blatant was her disregard for the conditions at the centre that even a fellow Tory MP has called her out on it.

More recently, the Home Office evacuated around 40 detainees from the centre in Manston only to abandon them in London for eight hours without food or warm clothing. It couldn’t be clearer that the authorities responsible for these migrants don’t even consider them human beings worthy of the most basic degree of dignity and compassion.

Amidst the Manston saga, on 30 October a migrant detention centre in Dover was petrol bombed by a white man who committed suicide after the attack. Sunak issued no response to the incident. Braverman, meanwhile, rather than acknowledging the role that xenophobic, anti-migrant rhetoric plays in inspiring such violence, chose to add fuel to the fire.

In parliament, she described migrants arriving via small boats as an “invasion on our southern coast,” claiming the Conservatives are the party that’s “serious” about tackling the problem. MP Kate Osamor said Braverman’s words were “a clear incitement to violence”. It’s precisely the kind of anti-immigrant rhetoric that has fanned the flames of far-right sentiment in the UK.

Sunak’s spokesperson, meanwhile, gave a statement both justifying and supporting Braverman’s choice of words. Exactly what part of this, then, is supposed to inspire immigrant communities or make them feel represented?

In reality, it’s not just that people from immigrant backgrounds who take up positions in cabinet are as bad as their white counterparts. As academic Kehnide Andrews points out, they’re demonstrably worse, particularly on matters of immigration and race relations – and deliberately so.

Andrews says “elevating racial minorities to positions of prominence” is a tactic the Conservatives use as a “fig leaf” for their racist policies. He adds: “It cannot be a coincidence that the most racist immigration policy agenda has been delivered by a procession of Asian home secretaries. It is almost impossible to imagine a White politician proposing to deport immigrants to Rwanda, but Priti Patel, whose parents were Ugandan Indian, could get away with such draconian measures without being accused of racism.”

Against this backdrop, seeing Patel and Braverman out-racist Theresa ‘hostile environment’ May in their roles as home secretary, begins to make more sense. It’s fair to say that politicians such as Sunak, Patel and Braverman, as well as Kemi Badenoch, Kwasi Kwarteng and Sajid Javid, among others, aren’t in parliament to serve working class communities that may be commonly affiliated with their immigrant backgrounds.

Rather their policies and respective parliamentary voting records, as well as their membership of a party responsible for pushing Brexit to effectively ‘make Britain great again’, shows where their loyalties lie. The Tories have long been the party that supports big business and relies on populist, anti-immigrant rhetoric to stay in power.

Yet opposition leader Keir Starmer won’t even allow his MPs to say Sunak “isn’t a win for Asian representation”. Nadia Whittome, who also has Indian heritage, was asked to delete a tweet calling out Sunak’s record as Chancellor and saying “Black, white or Asian: if you work for a living, he is not on your side”. She’s now facing disciplinary action from the Labour party.

Apparently Nadia Whittome was ordered by @UKLabour whips to delete this tweet, and they’re now considering disciplinary action, up to and including suspending the whip.

Meanwhile, Rosie Duffield is openly and persistently transphobic with complete impunity. pic.twitter.com/HOsnqGChQN

— Fancy Brenda 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (they/them) (@SpillerOfTea) October 27, 2022

When asked if he told Whittome to delete the tweet, Starmer responded: “I was able to… welcome the first British Asian Prime Minister as a real milestone for our country, and it shows that in Britain, whatever your race, whatever your beliefs, your dream can come true”.

But as Zora Neale Hurston said, “[a]ll my skinfolk ain’t my kinfolk”. Many politicians of colour, and not just the Tory ones, are capable of and/or have already demonstrated that they serve not racialised, working class communities but the interests of white supremacist capitalism.

Sunak made no secret of expressing his delight over being congratulated by the fascist Indian prime minister Narendra Modi upon taking office. Both Sunak and Braverman have ties to the secretive European Research Group, which is committed to the delivery of hardline Brexit policy.

Together, they look set to install a border regime that might make Boris Johnson blush. This isn’t a win for anyone – least of all the immigrants that Sunak and Braverman are supposed to represent.

Afroze Fatima Zaidi is a writer, editor and journalist. She has a background in academia and writing for online platforms.

Follow her on Twitter: @afrozefz

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Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.