Patrick O’Flynn Patrick O’Flynn

Britain isn’t racist. Here’s how the Tories can prove it

(Getty images)

Is it racist to wonder what skin colour a baby might have? The reaction to Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview appears to suggest some people think it is. Even attempting to weigh up whether claims of racism within the Royal Family hold water or not is deemed to be unconscionable. 

‘It’s not any of our places to pick apart claims of racism in order to make us feel more comfortable,’ according to GMB presenter and slayer of Piers Morgan, Alex Beresford. Labour leader Keir Starmer seemed to agree, setting aside his previous penchant for forensically picking over evidence to declare that Meghan’s experiences were a reminder of the racism that is all around us.

Perhaps Prince William merely stating that the royals are ‘very much not a racist family’ will in itself be declared an act of hostility by some advocate of critical race theory.

Whichever side you may be on in the great saga of Megxit or any other recent race-based controversy, an outsider looking in on Britain would be forgiven for thinking that Britain is not a happy place. 

We are still in search of a transformational figure to address an issue that risks dividing society

Of course, for many Brits, the reality couldn’t be any more different. But in this fractious debate, how can that point be made?

The kernel of the problem is the need to explode the pernicious and false idea that Britain is a generally racist country, not only to our satisfaction but also to the satisfaction of Brits from all walks of life. Those like Trevor Phillips and Calvin Robinson speak up for the idea that Britain is remarkably non-racist, yet we are still in search of a transformational figure to address an issue that risks dividing society.

Who might that figure be? The good news is that we have every chance of finding one – not in the worlds of punditry or academia, but in the world of politics.

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