The Reader: We should designate a day to celebrate the Windrush’s arrival

Have your say Twitter: @ESTheReader  Email: thereader@standard.co.uk 
Commemoration: Campaigners display their solidarity with the Windrush generation
In Pictures via Getty Images
29 May 2018
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

ONE of the consequences of the Windrush scandal has been a massive media and public education crash course on the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks on June 21, 1948, and the contribution of the Windrush generation to Britain.

We need to remember that many aspects of British society today would be unrecognisable without the contributions which immigrants have made: from the NHS to the monarchy, our language, literature, enterprise, fashion, music, politics, science, our culture and food, even humour.

In 2018, as part of the 70th anniversary of the Windrush arriving, we as a nation have failed. We have created no substantive commemoration for the Windrush generation and other migrant communities who see themselves as British. What about a series of commemorative stamps, special banknotes, or even a national oral history programme?

Whatever the idea, we need a permanent marker for Windrush. The 70th anniversary is a chance to reach across many different ethnic, faith and family heritages, to reject prejudice and intolerance, and to shape a fair and inclusive future. We need a permanent marker: I call on the Prime Minster to have a national Windrush Day on June 22.
Patrick Vernon

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Patrick

You are right that the Windrush scandal has had many positive effects. Not only has it forced Downing Street to reverse its policy of creating a “hostile environment” for people who came to our country years ago. It has also ensured that we have started to hear the positive case for immigration, and the enormous contribution migrant communities have made to all areas of national life.

It is the beginning of the fight back against those forces in our politics and media which, in recent years, have exploited fear of outsiders for their own ends. I agree with you that the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush is a great opportunity to celebrate the generation of our citizens who came from the Caribbean to enrich our society, and also to make a further statement about the advantages of immigration in general. You have a suggestion for a national celebration; let’s now hear the Government’s.

George Osborne, Editor

We are scared to open our windows

MICHAEL Gove’s advice to “open windows to ventilate the home” to protect us from air pollution will sound very strange to many Londoners [“Families told ‘open your windows to get rid of air pollution’” May 22]. The Government’s Clean Air Strategy, released last week, had some headline-grabbing ideas. But the advice to open windows will seem particularly bizarre to families living near one of London’s numerous polluted roads.

Without firm measures to clean up the city’s air, Londoners will continue to feel apprehensive about letting it waft into their homes. The new strategy is a welcome attempt to look at many sources of pollution but without urgent action to tackle pollution from vehicles, people will continue to suffer the consequences of illegal levels of air pollution for years to come.
Andrea Lee
ClientEarth

Now we know the real cost of Brexit

Before she became parliamentary under secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, Suella Braverman told a Question Time audience that any talk of a Brexit divorce bill was nothing but “more Project Fear” which should come with a health warning: “Don’t believe it.” Now she has admitted that we will be handing over tens of billions in return for… nothing.

Brexit Secretary David Davis told us Brexit would have “no downside, only a considerable upside”. Now we learn from the Bank of England that annual household income is £900 lower than forecast before the referendum. Boris Johnson told us there would be £350 million extra a week for the NHS: that money is still nowhere to be seen. Brexit is deteriorating into a series of broken promises. We need a people’s vote on the final deal.
Chuka Umunna
Open Britain

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in