1/ Former Equalities & Human Rights Commission Chair Trevor Phillips has demolished the Govt's attempts to divert responsibility for Windrush.
When he was EHRC Chair & they passed the Equality Act, provision was specifically included to ensure organisations could not .....
When he was EHRC Chair & they passed the Equality Act, provision was specifically included to ensure organisations could not .....
2/ do things that would inadvertently discriminate against groups with the population. The requirement to undertake Equality Impact Assessments was introduced to enact this.
When the Govt was planning the 2016 Immigration Act, an EIA was done that .....
When the Govt was planning the 2016 Immigration Act, an EIA was done that .....
3/ identified the new law was likely to adversely affect the status of a large group of older mainly non EU people who would have difficulty producing the necessary documentation to back up their residence status.
The Govt was advised not to pass the legislation, or ...
The Govt was advised not to pass the legislation, or ...
4/ substantially change it to avoid this effect. (Note from me - presumably this means the law contravenes the Equality Act?)
It is therefore "inconceivable" that Ministers or their advisers were not aware of the difficulties that could be caused to the Windrush generation ....
It is therefore "inconceivable" that Ministers or their advisers were not aware of the difficulties that could be caused to the Windrush generation ....
5/ The idea that this is "something that happened in a back office somewhere does not wash".
Phillips added, "I hate this response - the response of a boss who dumped on the nearest available junior employee".
He was then asked .....
Phillips added, "I hate this response - the response of a boss who dumped on the nearest available junior employee".
He was then asked .....
6/ what he thought of Michael Gove's assertion this morning that the Windrush scandal has not damaged Britain's standing. He said Gove is an intelligent man & "cannot possibly believe what he said" (that's Gove can't, not Phillips can't). He added that ......
7/ Boris Johnson is at the Commonwealth Heads meeting today & must be getting "what for" from his Caribbean counterparts.
Phillips thought the Govt attitude that led to Windrush was, "we'll get away with it who cares about a bunch of old black people" ......
Phillips thought the Govt attitude that led to Windrush was, "we'll get away with it who cares about a bunch of old black people" ......
8/ He was dismissive of Gove's assertion that Britain "has been & remains a welcoming country". Until now, UK has been seen as a European country w a relatively good race relations reputation. Now other countries can see the Govt doesn't care about good race relations ....
9/ He linked it to Brexit & the supposed bright new trade opps w the rest of the world. His reaction to this was:
"Imagine if you're sitting in Georgetown, Guyana .... it's not a good look, is it? People who've lived year for years, paid taxes, suddenly being shown the door" ...
"Imagine if you're sitting in Georgetown, Guyana .... it's not a good look, is it? People who've lived year for years, paid taxes, suddenly being shown the door" ...
10/ Phillips tells the interviewer, "everyone in the world knows this."
Windrush is a disaster for the victims & their families, a disaster for 3 million EU citizens & their families fearing the same will happen to them, & a disaster for Britain's global reputation.
Windrush is a disaster for the victims & their families, a disaster for 3 million EU citizens & their families fearing the same will happen to them, & a disaster for Britain's global reputation.
typo - within
