British Muslim MP asked to confirm if he can speak English

Plus: 'My baby nearly died during birth because I was ignored', says mother

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Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Hi everyone,   I hope you've had a good fortnight. Time seems to be flying and here we are with another edition of the Race Report!   It's Black History Month in the US, Canada, across the Caribbean and in many other countries apart from the UK, where we observe this annual event every October.    Speaking of Blackness, the past couple of weeks of my life have been jam-packed with Black art and storytelling. More than usual. I'm here for this.   Among other events, I attended the Royal Festival Hall on Friday, where I was dazzled by Chinke! in concert, Europe's first majority Black orchestra.   The day before, it was off to Bertha DocHouse to see Dalton's Dream by former X Factor winner Dalton Harris, an illuminating documentary from the talented Jamaican crooner about his times, trials, tribulations and truths.    And last Thursday was World Hijab Day, of course. Shout out to every Hijab-wearing person!    As for the latest headlines, key happenings highlight how: The Labour Party is in crisis The Conservative Party is in crisis The UK is in crisis The Windrush scandal rages on as Black elders die dealing with delayed justice Feel free to contact me with your ideas, tips and suggestions for future newsletters via nadine.white@independent.co.uk. British Muslim support for Labour plummets, shock poll finds Labour support amongst British Muslims has plummeted, a bombshell opinion poll has revealed.   It comes amid major concerns about Keir Starmer's handling of the Gaza war.   Backing for Labour from the Muslim community has fallen from 86 per cent to 60 per cent since the 2019 election, according to a new Survation survey.   Labour Muslim Network, which commissioned the poll, said it showed a "crisis point" for the party, which is usually popular with Muslim voters.   Meanwhile, Labour's key conference on race was scaled back at the eleventh hour amid security concerns, chaotic comms, pervasive in-fighting and unresolved internal racism worries.   Read more here 'My baby nearly died during birth because I was ignored', says mother Having her first child was going to be the perfect Christmas present for Gabrielle Dadzie. But, in reality, she came dangerously close to tragically losing her son during delivery.   Black women have previously revealed the shocking racism they have faced in the UK's healthcare system during pregnancy and childbirth, in landmark research that shed light on the country's damning death rate for expectant mothers.   Anecdotal accounts of substandard care and discrimination have emerged over several years. They range from the wrong dosage of medications being administered and jibes made by healthcare practitioners about patients' ability to speak English to women simply being ignored, like Gabrielle, and ultimately placed at risk within hospital settings during pregnancy.   Read the full article 'I feel rejected': Windrush Scandal victim granted judicial review after Home Office refused compensation A member of the Windrush generation who was wrongly denied entry to the UK and sent to Jamaica has been granted a judicial review of his case.   He is set to challenge the Home Office's decision to refuse him compensation under the Windrush Compensation Scheme, The Independent has learned.   Raymond Lee, 67, first came to the UK as a child in 1971 where he lived for nearly 30 years. But he was wrongly denied re-entry at Heathrow airport when he returned from a visit to Jamaica in July 1999.   Tearing him away from his then-wife and five children in the UK, Mr Lee was detained at the airport, removed and forced to stay in Jamaica.   Read the full article Muslim MP criticises a British journalist for asking him to confirm if he speaks English "I've just been asked by a UK journalist to comment on whether I (an MP and former MEP, Lord Mayor,  councillor, police officer and solicitor) speak English or not," Labour Party MP Afzal Khan posted on X/Twitter last week.   This came after a video of the Manchester Gorton MP endorsing a parliamentary candidate in Urdu went viral online alongside false claims he was translating the candidate's statements and that Khan himself is unable to speak English.    "I'm pleased that the journalist has apologised after I pointed out the inappropriate and racist framing of the question," the politician continued. "As most UK news coverage of Muslims is negative, it's important we challenge racist tropes where we see them. I'm glad the journalist has reflected on this."   The vast majority of journalists in Britain are white, with Muslim journalists accounting for about 0.4% of industry staff, according to one study.  Travis Jay serves 'Rum Punch' - a new BBC sitcom pilot British comedian Travis Jay stars in a brand new BBC Radio 4-commissioned sitcom, Rum Punch, which he also wrote.   Travis plays the role of Marley, an aspiring boxer who works in his parents' Caribbean restaurant. He's joined by a stellar cast, including Eddie Nestor, Kevin Garry, Letitia Hector and more.   I was invited to attend the recording of episode one at Peckham Theatre in south London a couple of weeks ago, and chuckled away from start to finish.    If this instalment is anything to go by, the entire production will be a flawlessly fresh and funny mainstream contribution to Black British folklore, the importance of which cannot be overstated.    Rum Punch airs on Tuesday 5th March on BBC Radio 4 and on BBC Sounds Adejoké Bakare (above) becomes the UK's first Black, female Michelin-starred chef and the second Black woman in the world to achieve this feat  Una Marson: Library named after the first Black BBC radio producer 'Dreaming Whilst Black' has been picked up for a second series by BBC & Showtime (US) Sesame Street's Elmo shares a "mindfulness moment" with British musician YolanDa Brown in a new video to mark Children's Mental Health Week. Elmo asked X/Twitter users how they were feeling last week and was inundated with heartbreaking real existential dread. Big up Elmo, tho'! A veteran Barrel Children: The Families Windrush Left Behind documentary is now being shown to UK secondary school children Essential reading Black police officers' group calls for first boycott of Met in nearly 20 years over racism claims Victor Erouhwo: Former TFL worker forced to sleep on streets after 'cruel' Home Office visa delays A Black woman and a group of young girls who were wrongfully forced out of their car, held at gunpoint and handcuffed by police have reached a $1.9 million (£1.5 million) legal settlement Ching-He Huang on cost-of-living cooking and why she hates airfryers: 'You can still eat well on a budget' King Charles' cancer diagnosis The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 Join the conversation or follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email   You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Race Report newsletter.   To unsubscribe from The Independent's Race Report newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. 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