The Commonwealth, Theresa May and The Windrush Scandal

I’ve kept as quiet as I possibly can over this, I’ve not uploaded anything on social media, I’ve not joined in the chats, but to keep quiet as the child of parents who left beautiful Barbados…. well.

I want to say I’m in shock, but the way the world is turning I’ll be honest and say I’m not completely surprised that this issue has arisen.

The rumblings along these lines have been brewing for a while; North Londoner Anthony Bryan has lived in the UK for 52 years and was under threat of removal recently, he was detained with medical health refused. Paulette Wilson, 61years of age, detained and dispatched to an immigration removal centre at Heathrow last year October where she remained having been in Britain for 50years and she remains liable to detention or removal until her status is regularised. Joseph Bravo, father of 5 from Leeds was left heartbroken when he couldn’t attend his daughter’s wedding, despite spending 54 years in the UK, his local passport office claimed he “didn’t exist”. There are numerous stories, but I think you get the drift. The rumblings have been there for 18months to 2years so it was just a matter of time before the Windrush news was to hit BIG TIME.

I’ll try and keep this as general as I possibly can. Leadership manifests itself and is powerful and influential. The post holder who lives in the White House in the USA has been very clear about his feelings towards some people who do not have the same image as himself and he has until 20th January 2021 to complete his first (and hopefully his last) term in office. That’s a long time to continue driving these opinions home on a global level and to continue being influential. Whatever is conceived in the USA eventually gives birth in the UK, so alongside Windrush, Passport issues, Deportation issues and without going into too much detail about Theresa May, her opinions, her cabinet etc, it was a matter of time before these issues rose their ugly head here in the UK.

It’s beyond sad. I think of my own mother and father who left their relaxed lifestyle, came to the UK to assist in building the nation. They were entering a phase of a complete culture shock; not being accepted because of their skin colour, having to go from living in large open spaced breezed filled houses in Barbados to adjust to living in one room, suffering with the severe climate change and the health issues that came with that change, having to walk to public baths once a week because the landlord wouldn’t allow them to bathe in his home as in his mind “they had diseases”. The psychological adjustments for all Caribbeans were horrendous and their children they brought with them also had to adjust in schools and with a new education system, and that’s just the general changes. In addition they worked bloody hard and were up against hatred, being down trodden, being blocked professionally, financially, spiritually. And now another adjustment, having made lives and set foundations in the UK there’s the threatened disruption of having to go home or be escorted home ………………..

This current situation is beyond my comprehension…. shall we leave it there? I will say, however, David Lammy MP stepped up and made his feelings very much known.