PRESS RELEASE: Braverman's "alarmingly perilous" speech brings 'Rivers of Blood' politics "out of the margins to heart of Tory leadership"

Press release
3 October 2023
Anti racists warn Braverman’s “alarmingly perilous” speech brings ‘Rivers of Blood’ politics “out of the margins to heart of Tory party

As Home Secretary Suella Braverman moved to make her speech at the Conservative party conference today, a campaign led by Stand Up To Racism brought #BravermanOut and #RefugeesWelcome to trend on X (formally Twitter) during an afternoon Twitterstorm. The former slogan demanding the resignation of the Home Secretary reached number three in UK trends. The latter slogan continued to trend long after the 1pm to 2pm Twitterstorm, expressing solidarity with refugees in wake of the government’s assault on the 1951 UN Convention enshrining the internationally recognised human right to seek asylum.

Braverman’s speech, say anti racists, was a conscious attempt to scapegoat refugees and migrants, target LGBT+ communities, and to paint herself, and the Tory party as standing up for those struggling amidst the cost of living crisis in a broken Britain. Yet, as brazen as it might have been to end her speech quoting Percy Shelley’s Mask of Anarchy – famously taken up as a campaign theme by Jeremy Corbyn – it remains the case that Braverman is a millionaire who claimed public expenses of £25,000 for her parents house.

Anti racists argue that the home Secretary’s speech was designed to manipulate and polarise ahead of the general election, pointing to a “hurricane” of “illegal migrants” or “bogus asylum seekers”. The speech returned to themes dismissing the Black Lives Matter movement, in a further swipe against Take The Knee actions, attacked climate justice campaigners by pitching Just Stop Oil actions as a disruption and assault on the public, and openly denounced and ridiculed the notions of ‘human rights’ and ‘social justice’.

Braverman repeated reference to her and the Tory leadership’s stance against campaigns for justice for those who have been killed by the police, such as Chris Kaba, following her attack on the charges against the police who killed him.

Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism co convenor, said:

“The Home Secretary’s recent address was alarmingly perilous, brimming with animosity towards migrants. She displayed a complete lack of understanding or support for individuals seeking asylum, belittling any notion of equality or opposition to racism.

“Is she intentionally sowing division in order to establish herself as a potential leader? Her alignment with far right ideologies and proposed solutions is deeply concerning. In today’s world, it is imperative that we vehemently reject racism, hatred towards the LGBT+ community, Islamophobia, and divisive political tactics. Such behavior poses a significant threat to all of us.”

Sabby Dhalu, Stand Up To Racism co convenor, said:

“Suella Braverman’s incendiary address to the Conservative Party conference was designed to scapegoat, distract and divide in light of the government’s determination to make the 99% worse off while the rich get richer. Braverman’s speech to the American Enterprise Institute and her undermining of the Chris Kaba family in supporting the racist reaction of the police in response to the murder charge, had similar intentions.

“As night follows day, such speeches lead to racist attacks and the growth of the far right. Previously similar speeches, like Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech, were confined to the margins of the Conservative Party. Now they’re at the heart of the leadership. Thankfully such speeches are out of touch with the British people.”.”

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