No racism in coverage of Meghan, insists Priti
PRITI Patel yesterday rejected suggestions that the Duchess of Sussex has been subjected to racist coverage by the media.
Prince Harry had claimed his wife has faced a ‘wave of abuse and harassment’. He also voiced concerns about the ‘racial undertones of comment pieces’.
But Home Secretary Miss Patel said she had not seen any evidence of racism against the former US actress in ‘debates or commentary’ about her.
The Tory politician, whose parents immigrated to Britain from Uganda, said the UK was ‘a great society’ which offered opportunities to ‘people of any background’. Miss Patel, pictured, told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘ I’m not in that category where I believe there’s racism at all.
‘I think we live in a great country – a great society full of opportunity, where people of any background can get on in life.’ Asked if she believed the media had been racist, she replied: ‘I don’t think so – no... I certainly haven’t seen that through any debates or commentary or things of that nature.’
She added: ‘ As someone that’s been born and brought up in the United Kingdom, someone that comes from an immigrant background, I think Britain is a country of tremendous opportunity.’ She praised the work of the Royal Family, saying: ‘Their contribution to our country...and also our standing in the world is absolutely immense.’
Her comments follow the global storm over Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties. The New York Times ran a comment piece headlined ‘Black Britons know why Meghan Markle wants out: It’s the racism.’ The Huffington Post published a similar article.
Black British comedian Gina Yashere said Meghan had faced ‘constant racist vitriolic abuse disguised as criticism’.
However, Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said it was ‘nonsense’ to suggest the couple were leaving ‘because of racism’.
And England rugby star Courtney Lawes said: ‘Just because she’s black doesn’t mean she was targeted for that reason.’