• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Boris Johnson is the poster boy of white privilege

Boris Johnson can’t solve the problem of racial inequality and injustice. He is part of the problem.

James Melville by James Melville
2020-06-09 14:16
in Opinion
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Throughout his writing and political career, Boris Johnson has at best displayed crass messaging and at worst more than a whiff of racism towards ethnic minorities. As protestors take a knee in solidarity to remember the police brutality involved in the tragic death of George Floyd, ideally we look to our leaders to reach out and bridge the divide. Regrettably, Britain currently has a Prime Minister who has openly mocked rather than shown empathy towards ethnic minorities. He has consistently displayed a haughty and condescending imperialistic narrative towards other countries, ethnicities and creeds.

Writing in the Telegraph in 2002, Boris Johnson referred to a visit to Africa by the then prime minister Tony Blair. “What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England. It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies,” he wrote, referring to African people as having “watermelon smiles.”

When he questioned about the comment during his first campaign for London Mayor, Johnson claimed that the comments had been “taken out of context.”

Writing in the Spectator magazine in 2002, Johnson wrote about Africa and opened his article with, “You would need a heart of stone not to have been moved by the little Aids-ridden choristers.”

Equalities Commission

Boris Johnson was reported to the Equalities Commission in 2018 after comparing Muslim women who wear burqas to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”. Johnson wrote in an article for the Telegraph that “it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes,” adding that any female student who appeared at school or in a lecture “looking like a bank robber” should be asked to remove it. He later doubled down on his comments and still remains unrepentant about them.

In an article for The Spectator in 2005, he wrote: “To any non-Muslim reader of the Koran, Islamophobia — fear of Islam — seems a natural reaction, and, indeed, exactly what that text is intended to provoke”….Judged purely on its scripture — to say nothing of what is preached in the mosques — it is the most viciously sectarian of all religions in its heartlessness towards unbelievers.”

In the wake of the London bombings, he also questioned the loyalty of British Muslims and insisted that the country must accept that “Islam is the problem.”

RelatedPosts

Elevenses: The Tractor War

‘Scam’ Cryptocurrencies and the ’looking glass’ world of finance

Elevenses: Stick It To The Politicians

If the local elections tell us anything, it’s that our democracy desperately needs a kiss of life

He added, “It will take a huge effort of courage and skill to win round the many thousands of British Muslims who are in a similar state of alienation, and to make them see that their faith must be compatible with British values and with loyalty to Britain…That means disposing of the first taboo, and accepting that the problem is Islam. Islam is the problem. What is going on in these mosques and madrasas? When is someone going to get 18th century on Islam’s medieval ass?”

His words are now legacy

Johnson claims that his comments were “wholly satirical,” or taken “out of context”. But his words are now legacy. They are written in black and white.

Words matter. And Johnson’s matter more than most as he should be settling the tone for the country to follow as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. We live with a tinderbox of racial tension due to the police brutality causing the tragic death of George Floyd. We look for our leaders to reach out, but instead, we have a backstory of the Prime Minister’s crass commentary shown towards ethnic minorities. This hardly inspires confidence that Boris Johnson is in any way fit for purpose as a suitable role model to reach out and lead by example to find common ground and empathy towards our ethnic minorities.

Boris Johnson can’t solve the problem of racial inequality and injustice. He is part of the problem. He is the poster boy of white privilege.

Related: F*ck Tha Police: The enduring importance of timeless protest songs

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Duchy of Cornwall assets top £1bn

DVLA backtrack following criticism over autism advice

Florida voted to arm teachers

Lineker out of Brexit Twitter retirement to stick boot into Boris

‘Hairy Kane’: Football fan shaves England & Tottenham striker into head

Rare swift spotted for first time in UK

Cristina Kirchner: Nisman did not commit suicide

Police officers on streets stopping drivers to enforce isolation as Brits flout rules

Spirit of the Week: WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

Long-termism and football

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.