Warning on the very day Labour race manifesto is launched
ALL children would be taught about the ‘injustice’ of the British Empire in school as part of a new ‘race and faith manifesto’, Labour will pledge today.
Jeremy Corbyn will confirm his party would set up a new ‘ Emancipation Educational Trust’ to ensure the effects of colonialism are taught in the national curriculum.
Labour – which is being investigated for anti- Semitism by the equalities watchdog – also pledged to hold an inquiry into far-Right extremism.
Conservatives accused the party of planning to ‘ rubbish’ Britain’s past and suggested schools would be better off learning about the dangers of Communism.
Ian Austin, who quit as a Labour MP over the party’s failure to tackle its anti-Semitism problem, said no one would take a lecture on racism from Mr Corbyn.
The Labour leader will launch his party’s ‘race and faith manifesto’ in London today alongside equalities spokesman Dawn Butler and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott.
Among a string of pledges, it intends to force companies to extend pay-gap reporting to ethnic minority groups in an attempt to tackle pay discrimination. A ‘ race equality unit’ in the Treasury would review spending announcements for their impact on ethnic minorities.
The party will pledge to end what it calls the ‘rip-off charges’ for passports, visas, tests and other documentation imposed by the Home Office. Labour will also launch a review into the under-representation of ethnic minority teachers in schools.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘ It’s staggering that Corbyn’s Labour lecture people about race and faith while they are investigated for rampant anti-Semitism.’
She said the race manifesto’s plan not to charge immigrants for visas would cost taxpayers huge amounts. ‘Not charging people who want to come to the country for visa and immigration services means UK taxpayers will have to pay instead. The bill will be more than £1.5billion.’
At the launch event at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham today, Mr Corbyn will say: ‘Labour is the party of equality and human rights. Our “race and faith manifesto” presents our unshakable commitment to challenge the inequalities and discrimination that has faced to many communities.’
Labour will blame Boris Johnson in part for a spike in hate crime since Brexit. A spokesman said: ‘The harmful rhetoric around Brexit – some of which has been instigated by Boris Johnson – has led to a spike in hate crime and abuse faced by BAME and faith communities.’
The plans triggered fury among Tory MPs last night. Andrew Rosindell, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on the Commonwealth, said: ‘ Britain has a proud past. How typical of the Left to want to rubbish our history.’
His colleague Nigel Evans added: ‘I think they could teach the appalling lessons of history where communism and socialism goes wrong under Stalin which led to millions dying or being executed under state pogroms. And Venezuela where a thriving economy is transformed into a complete basket case under Corbyn’s comrades and heroes Chavez and Maduro.’
In the small print of Labour’s announcement is a pledge to make the equalities watchdog ‘truly independent’ – even though the EHRC is already independent.
Mr Austin said: ‘No one is going to listen to a lecture about racism from Jeremy Corbyn when Labour is the only party in history to be subjected to a full inquiry by the EHRC.
‘Instead of making speeches about these issues, he ought to be listening to the Jewish community, dealing with the anti-Semitism that has poisoned the Labour Party under his leadership and disowning the candidates who have said and done unacceptable things.’
‘Wants to rubbish our history’