‘It’s simply not true to say we are all in it together’

By Claudia Webbe MP 

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare class and racial inequalities and a fairer society must follow

Throughout this unprecedented crisis, my thoughts have been with the loved ones of Leicester residents and beyond who have sadly died from the Coronavirus and with those who are suffering as a result of contracting it.

We are all immensely grateful to Leicester’s amazing NHS staff and social care workers who are working tirelessly to help us deal with this pandemic, often in extremely challenging conditions.

In the holy month of Ramadan, with our social distancing rules to slow the spread of the virus, I am reminded of the importance of fasting and what it teaches us about discipline, sacrifice, mindfulness, reflection and empathy all of which are highly relevant for the moment.

In recent weeks, there has been a constant rallying cry from politicians, the media and even the Queen that ‘we are all in this together.’

It is true that, once it infects someone, this awful disease does not discriminate.

We have seen powerful and privileged people contract Coronavirus, most shockingly Prime Minister Boris Johnson who we are all pleased to see recovering following his time in intensive care.

However, it is simply not true that we are all in this together.

Existing racial and class inequalities, coupled with inadequate government support, mean that working-class people, immigrants and African, Asian and minority ethnic communities are at greater risk and exposure.

It has been extremely concerning to see the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus upon African, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

I am incredibly proud that our city is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse areas of the UK.

Over two-thirds of Leicester East residents are from an African, Asian or Minority Ethnic background.

This diversity is what makes our community special.

Yet the severe racial disparities in our economy mean that African, Asian and minority ethnic people are more likely to fall through the cracks in the government’s financial support and are therefore more likely to be forced to work in unsafe conditions.

The grim intersection of racial and class discrimination has a deadly consequence during this pandemic.

While billionaires self-isolate on luxury yachts in the Grenadines, workers in Leicester East are forced to put themselves at risk in non-essential, unsafe factories in order to pay the bills.

This government has serious questions to answer about its handling of this pandemic, from the delay in taking meaningful action and confused public messaging, to its botched ‘herd immunity’ strategy and its refusal to back a genuinely universal programme of financial support.

It is also clear that this crisis has been years, not months, in the making, as a decade of crippling austerity tore through our social fabric leaving public services severely unprepared.

After this crisis, we can no longer live in a society where health workers are underpaid, frontline workers are undervalued or our NHS is starved of funding.

We can’t applaud front-line workers every Thursday, and then return to an economy defined by extreme inequality.

The people of Leicester deserve a better future and a fairer society.

This crisis has shown that the people who really matter and keep our society ticking are not billionaires and the super-rich, but nurses, carers, cleaners, checkout attendants and many more essential frontline workers.

Jobs that, just a few weeks ago were wrongly decried by the government as low-skilled, are now rightly recognised as essential.

This must be reflected with a significant restructuring of our economy along the lines of justice, with pay-rises for those who we clearly cannot live without.

With a disproportionately high number of migrant NHS workers bravely risking their safety to care for others, it is vital that we use this moment to push for a permanent extension of migrant rights.

That means an end to the hostile environment, shutting detention centres and granting Indefinite Leave to Remain to all NHS workers and their dependent families. 

Claudia Webbe MP is the member of Parliament for Leicester East. You can follow her at www.facebook.com/claudiaforLE and twitter.com/ClaudiaWebbe