ISSUE: The Windrush crisis
THE RECENT scandal which has engulfed British parliament and the Home Office on how the Windrush Generation have been treated has shocked the nation. It has highlighted widespread institutional errors which have affected some of the most vulnerable in our society.
We need to remember the Windrush Generation shaped what Britain is today yet they have been treated like second class citizens. They are as British as you and I or anyone walking down our local high street. Their contribution working tirelessly for London Transport, British Rail, NHS and other organisations shaped our economy.
For those former public companies which ended up in the private sector through the Thatcher era, their shareholders and CEOs wouldn’t have profited without the help of the Windrush Generation. The Notting Hill Carnival wouldn’t be what it is without their contribution. Millions of revellers do that every year. We must never forget that.
This is not just a political issue but a bigger problem in society. It’s based on class, background and ethnicity. It’s more deep rooted and toxic than we think. I believe gentrification and social cleansing have played a major part in forming a deceitful mindset towards the treatment of many vulnerable and hard working people. It also boils down to greed and destroying communities.
Areas such as Brixton in south London, which have been a focal point to African and Caribbean communities, have been cleansed to cater for the middle and upper class. These are places connected to the Windrush Generation.
Luckily Windrush Square offers a glimer of hope and a small reminder of the area’s rich cultural heritage. But the problems are far wider, it extends to snobbery and racism.
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