Labour leader speaks out – but only after days of riots
Labour leader Keir Starmer has commented on the death of George Floyd, the African-American man murdered by police – calling for Floyd’s death to be a ‘catalyst for change’. Finally.
But Starmer’s comment comes fully five days after Floyd’s murder – and after days of rioting. A search of his Twitter feed reveals that today’s tweet is the first and only mention of Mr Floyd on Starmer’s account:
His comment didn’t cut much ice with many BAME activists, especially given Starmer’s track record over right-wing abuse of black Labour MPs and members and his opaque handling of the leaked internal report into the conduct of right-wing HQ staff:
Compare former US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders’s words in the latest of several posts on Floyd’s death:
Starmer was slow to challenge Boris Johnson’s coronavirus disasters and delays for weeks while they killed thousands, failed to call for the sacking of Dominic Cummings until it was clear that Johnson had no intention of doing so – and had clearly ordered his front bench to avoid doing so, judging by the rote responses of those asked about it on TV and radio.
It seems weak and too late is the new style of opposition.
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