Black History Month

Debate between Terry Jermy and David Burton-Sampson

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Terry Jermy]

Absolutely. I will come to some more recent examples that are less positive, but I absolutely share my hon. Friend’s sentiment.

Thetford lays claim to being the third oldest mayoralty in the entire country, and our civic history is truly fascinating, so it is particularly noteworthy that Dr Minns became the first black mayor. It is also worth mentioning that Dr Minns’s sister, Ophelia, was later elected on to the town council—at a time when women could not even vote in parliamentary elections. It shows that the Minns family story is part of our wider history of people who contributed to the life of their community at a time when opportunities to participate in public life were far from equal.

Thetford town council pays tribute to Dr Minns’s legacy by showing school groups around our guildhall and introducing them to his story, and like me, they feel amazed and proud. I pay tribute to local councillors such as Annie Blackbourn, Doug Jefferson and Stuart Wright, as well as the staff at Thetford town council, who are working to ensure that there is a statue of Dr Minns on permanent display in Thetford as we approach the 100th anniversary of his death in 2030. Dr Minns’s story reminds us that black history does not exist separately from the history of our towns and villages but is woven into the very fabric of our communities. He was not simply making history by becoming Britain’s first black mayor; he was serving his neighbours, contributing to civic life and helping to shape the future of our community.

[David Burton-Sampson]

Last night, I joined the 1987 Committee, set up by the fantastic Fatima Kamara and her team. As hon. Members can tell from its name, it recognises the year—that historic year—in which the Mother of the House, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott), entered this House. It aims to help young black people get those opportunities to get involved in politics and in political and public life. Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating the 1987 Committee on the wonderful work it is doing with young black people to get them into the type of arena that we are in?

[Terry Jermy]

I recognise my hon. Friend’s own trailblazing experience as a fellow Member from the eastern region. I pay tribute to him, and I absolutely congratulate the organisation he mentioned.

It is really important that these achievements are recognised because, sadly, the story of Dr Minns was forgotten. For a while, it was thought that John Archer, the mayor of Battersea, was Britain’s first black mayor, despite being elected 10 years later. We must talk about and recognise these achievements—although I apologise to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova)! I hope that mentioning Dr Minns’s story today will help to honour his legacy and highlight the work he did for his community. It is a reminder that democratic public participation belongs to everyone in our communities, and that the contributions of those who came before us should inspire all who follow.

It has been a difficult few months for my constituency, particularly for my home town of Thetford, with the violent protests in my community. I absolutely recognise that among those protesting were people with legitimate concerns about immigration—whether that be public safety or the impact on services—but, sadly, many were motivated by racism, and we must call out and denounce that at every opportunity. I similarly condemn those who fan the flames of extremism, particularly those who do so for political gain. Their actions led to black and minority ethnic members of my community feeling unsafe and living in fear—often the fear of being misidentified as an asylum seeker—which resulted in children of mixed heritage, like my 10-year-old niece, being asked at school if she was an asylum seeker.

We can and must do better than this. The Government, and the Home Office in particular, need to do far more in relation to community cohesion, particularly in areas such as mine that are close to a former military base that has been identified as a possible site to house asylum seekers, and for communities currently concerned about the dispersal policy.