The 13 ‘Labour’ front-benchers, including Starmer, who did NOT sign letter to Patel demanding cancellation of ‘Windrush’ deportation flight

List of shame of Shadow MPs who have not supported attempt to prevent flight that will separate 31 children from their father and put people at risk of violence and abuse

More than sixty Labour MPs have put their names to a letter sent by Norwich MP Clive Lewis to Home Secretary Priti Patel, calling for the cancellation of a deportation flight to Jamaica taking off on Wednesday. The flight, which will affect people who have lived in the UK since their childhood, will sepaarate at least 31 children from their father and, as Lewis notes, is a continuation of the ‘Windrush’ ‘hostile environment’ policies that put deportees at risk of abuse, violence and even death:

Shamefully, the names of thirteen current front-benchers are conspicuous by their absence from the letter – including that of the party’s leader, deputy leader, Shadow Home Secretary, Shadow Foreign Secretary, Shadow Chancellor, Shadow Health Secretary, Shadow Justice Secretary and, ironically, the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding:

• Keir Starmer
• Angela Rayner
• Anneliese Dodds
• Nick Thomas-Symonds
• Lisa Nandy
• Ed Miliband
• Jon Ashworth
• Rosena Allin-Khan
• David Lammy
• Jess Phillips
• Rachel Reeves
• Wes Streeting
• Yvette Cooper

The names of other front-benchers are among the signatories, so those who have failed to sign cannot claim it was not permitted.

Yet again, Keir Starmer has failed to disagree publicly with the Tories. It has not escaped notice:

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I find it baffling that in two days we've had nothing from @Keir_Starmer, @AngelaRayner or the @UKLabour on the international day of solidarity with Palestine or the illegal deportation of ppl to Jamaica.

You can't be tough on racism unless it's all racism. pic.twitter.com/KFrWWCUPt6

— Liam Smyth (@SmythLr) November 30, 2020

Earlier this year, Starmer was criticised for condemning the toppling by Black Lives Matter protesters of a statue commemorating Edward Colston, a slaver who forcibly transported tens of thousands of Africans to the Caribbean. Now more black people are being forcibly transported and he is silent.

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