Labour's Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Dawn Butler said UK Prime Minister Theresa May could personally be accused of racism due to her involvement in the setting of the Home Office’s Windrush generation immigration policy.
"Yes. She is the leader that's presiding over legislation that's discriminating against a whole group of people who came from the Commonwealth, who suffered racism when they came over, the 'no blacks, no Irish, no dogs,'" the shadow minister and Labour MP said when asked by a Sky News presenter on April 22 if PM May could personally be accused of racism.
"And now they're having to relive that trauma all over again because of Theresa May. She's not going to get let off the hook on this. And this has to be redressed as quickly as possible."
Shadow Equalities Minister Dawn Butler says Theresa May's government could be classified as "institutionally racist" following the Windrush scandal pic.twitter.com/SN8A6zcqNS
— Sunday with Paterson (@RidgeOnSunday) April 22, 2018
She went on to call on the PM to take action and said an "apology is not good enough."
READ MORE: Britain's Windrush Deportation Crisis Exposes 'Racist' Home Office — Witness
When asked to clarify her comments about Theresa May being a racist, she said "I'm saying that Theresa May has presided over racist legislation that has discriminated against a whole generation of people from the Commonwealth."
The shadow minister subsequently explained how her policies are “delivering” institutional racism.
"Her policies that she has implemented have disproportionately affected people from the Commonwealth and people of color and therefore if you look at what institutional racism is, that's what her policies are currently delivering."
She later reaffirmed her accusations against the PM, tweeting "Sadly it is true."
Many Brits took to social media to express their views on the latest developments in the scandal, with some calling on May to resign, while others criticized MP Butler for hurling such allegations when her own party is facing accusations of being anti-Semitic.
If the UK had a properly functioning media, the pressure on May to resign over her cruel and racist policy that led to #Windrush scandal, would be so intense that she would have to go.
But the UK does not have a properly functioning media.
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) April 22, 2018
Theresa May by not owning up to the #WindrushScandal at least proves that all racists are essentially cowards.
— Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) April 22, 2018
"Institutionally racist" Has Labour any other rubbish to throw at the PM? After all, isn't it the Labour party struggling to contain the blight of antisemitism within their ranks? Methinks we are trying to cover our own mess here.
— doylie45 (@doylie45) April 22, 2018
Dawn Butler MP throwing the racist jab at Theresa May is shameful and undermines the use of that word for actually reprehensible people. You can’t just cower behind racism with every problem.
— OneObazuBoy (@transaway) April 23, 2018
The Windrush generation came from the Caribbean after World War II to help Britain with labor shortages and widespread damage caused to major cities throughout the country.
Amber Rudd, the current home secretary, is facing calls to resign over her involvement in the scandal. The crisis marks yet another blow to May’s government and herself personally, particularly with her being singled out as a racist.
READ MORE: May's Immigration Policy Almost ‘Reminiscent of Nazi Germany' – Ex-UK Official
