Burnham Faces Critical Moment on Race Relations, According to OBV Chair
Burnham must shift UK mood on racism – David Weaver, the chair of Operation Black Vote, has declared that Andy Burnham possesses a historic chance to transform how the nation views racism. Speaking during an interview that coincided with the 30th anniversary of the influential nonpartisan civil rights group, Weaver emphasized that the incoming prime minister must capitalize on this moment to reshape a political landscape where discussions about race and migration frequently serve as distractions from class disparities and weak governance.
A New Era for British Politics
Burnham, who previously served as the mayor of Greater Manchester, is set to assume the role of prime minister on Monday following his confirmation as Labour’s new leader on Friday. His vision for governing encompasses several key pillars: devolution of power, reindustrialisation of the economy, expansion of technical education, and the creation of a more economically interventionist state. These proposals aim directly at tackling both regional and class-based inequalities across the country. Weaver observed that the conversations Burnham is currently engaging in regarding class, inequality, and community engagement—while not always explicitly focused on race—carry significant benefits. He explained that these discussions matter not merely because they could assist Black communities, but also because they hold the potential to strengthen white working-class neighborhoods. According to Weaver, what Burnham chooses to do next is absolutely critical, noting that a society cannot flourish while remaining divided.
The Specificity of Race Matters
Despite the broader appeal of Burnham’s class-focused agenda, Weaver cautioned that the prime minister-elect cannot overlook the specific realities of race. With ethnonationalist rhetoric gaining traction, ethnic disparities widening, and race riots occurring, Black and Asian Britons are discussing the possibility of leaving the United Kingdom at rates not witnessed since the 1970s. Weaver urged Burnham to provide legal aid to survivors of the Windrush scandal and to completely overhaul the underperforming compensation scheme. This overhaul should involve removing the scheme from Home Office control and speeding up payments to those affected. Additionally, Weaver called for the restoration of the Labour whip to pioneering Black MP Diane Abbott, whose treatment had been consistently described as “appalling” by Black voters in conversations with OBV.
Historical Parallels and Rising Pessimism
Weaver pointed out that Burnham is taking office during a period when pessimism among Black and Asian Britons about their future in the UK has reached its lowest point since Enoch Powell’s famous “rivers of blood” speech. He remarked that while there is hope for equity, current political discourse makes Powell’s warnings appear almost trivial by comparison.
Black people are seeing their British identity questioned. They are confused, despondent and pessimistic about their future in this country and as a response to the normalisation of racism, they are speaking about ancestry, the diaspora, more than ever.
Weaver noted that many Black Britons are considering trips to the Caribbean, Africa, India, or Pakistan, wondering if they might find greater hope elsewhere. Recent research supports these concerns. In March, Hope Not Hate found that 54% of Reform UK members believed non-white British citizens born abroad should be forcibly removed or encouraged to leave. Furthermore, one in five Reform supporters (22%) extended this view to non-white citizens whose parents were born in the UK.
Political Failures and Moral Imperatives
December research from the thinktank IPPR revealed that 71% of Reform voters considered British ancestry a prerequisite for being truly British, while more than a third expressed pride in Britain would increase if there were fewer people from minority ethnic backgrounds within a decade. Conservative MP Katie Lam has stated that legal migrants should “go home,” while Rupert Lowe, leader of the hard-right Restore Britain party, declared that “millions must go.” For Black Britons, this rhetoric echoes the postwar far right’s demands for “repatriation.” Weaver emphasized that the reality of the Windrush scandal—where mainly Black Britons were stripped of citizenship rights over decades and deported, largely to the Caribbean and Africa—has intensified these fears.
If we don’t take the clues from Windrush, incorporate that into our thinking about what is being said about remigration, and not see the links, then that’s our failing – and a political failing, morally and ethically.
Weaver concluded that while thousands leaving Britain is not the solution, Black people must reserve the right to live and be born in the UK with equity, just as white Britons have felt comfortable migrating worldwide. Since 1996, Operation Black Vote has supported and mentored thousands of individuals into public life—including MPs, councillors, school governors, magistrates, and NHS board members—helping establish the UK as a global leader in diversity within political representation.
