Oral Answers to Questions

Martin Docherty-Hughes Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2020 Commons Chamber

The Prime Minister was asked—

[Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire) (SNP)]

If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 17 June.

[The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)]

This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and I shall have further such meetings later today.

[Martin Docherty-Hughes]

The journey of Munira Mirza from the pages of the Srebrenica-denying Living Marxism and the Revolutionary Communist party into the heart of No. 10 has not gone unnoticed. On Monday, the Prime Minister appointed them to lead the commission—the Government’s commission—on racial inequality, and it was greeted with some disbelief, given their well-known views on the matter. So I wonder: can the Prime Minister tell us today, does he agree with Ms Mirza that previous inquiries have fostered a “culture of grievance” within minority communities?

[The Prime Minister]

I am a huge admirer of Dr Munira Mirza, who is a brilliant thinker about these issues. We are certainly going to proceed with a new cross-governmental commission to look at racism and discrimination. It will be a very thorough piece of work, looking at discrimination in health, in education and in the criminal justice system. I know that the House will say we have already had plenty of commissions and plenty of work, but it is clear from the Black Lives Matter march and all the representations we have had that more work needs to be done, and this Government are going to do it.