Why I’m demanding a government investigation into the n-word scandal

This language is not – as some may claim – a harmless relic of a bygone era, writes Labour MP Kim Johnson. Instead, it is a glaring beacon indicating the current manifestations of the colonial state

For many, the use of racist language in this context is of little surprise. The mask is off, the racist hand of the state is laid bare for all to see (AFP via Getty Images)

If evidence was still needed that the British state is structurally and endemically racist, then it’s here in black and white.

The recent discovery of the repeated use of the n-word in government documents and the royal collection, as highlighted by The Independent, has caused widespread outrage. Despite attempts to downplay this as nothing more than a few mistakes that have slipped through the net, it is clearly only the tip of the iceberg. New revelations are emerging almost daily, with the latest racist language being identified in immigration tribunal documents.

Such language goes far beyond the offensive. It exposes the impact of generations of dehumanising government policies, used in decisions that have the potential to have a devastating impact on the lives of Black and minority ethnic people in this country. For many, the use of racist language in this context is of little surprise. The mask is off, the racist hand of the state is laid bare for all to see.

Recent legislation strengthening racist police and border powers – from the Immigration Bill that passed just yesterday to the Public Order Bill – have hammered home the message that Black British people are second-class citizens.

Yet this government still chooses to deny the existence of institutional racism, choosing instead to endorse the findings of the now highly-discredited Sewell Report.

Published two years ago, it declared Britain free from institutional racism, called for teaching about the UK’s colonial history that celebrates the cultural development as British Africans as a by-product of the slave trade, and recommended against teaching critical race theory and using terms such as “white privilege” in educational settings.

It was met with an avalanche of criticism. Public health experts condemned the report as “divorced from reality”. Windrush campaigners slammed its lack of attention paid to their struggle. Baroness Doreen Lawrence warned that the report risked pushing the fight against racism, “back 20 years or more”.

In January of this year, a UN working group of Experts on People of African Descent raised serious concerns round the “impunity and the failure to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system, deaths in police custody, ‘joint enterprise’ convictions, and the dehumanising nature of the stop and search.” In no uncertain terms, they confirmed that racism in the UK today is ‘structural, institutional and systemic,’ warning of ongoing racial discrimination and erosion of fundamental rights.

In Liverpool, the city I am proud to serve as the first Black MP, ethnic minorities are twice as likely to be unemployed than white people. Black children are 8 per cent more likely to have lower attainment in early years, and Black pupils in the city are disproportionately likely to have lower GCSE attainments.

How are we supposed to begin tackling these disparities if the policy-making tools at our disposal inherently contain such racist language and concepts?

The history of this racism is born directly out of the colonial history of the British state and crown. It goes far beyond the use of dehumanising language, to policies of theft, exploitation, slavery and genocide across vast swathes of the world – the repercussions of which continue to the present day.

This language is not – as some may claim – a harmless relic of a bygone era. Instead, it is a glaring beacon indicating the current manifestations of the colonial state. We need urgent action to tear these racist policies out by the very root.

We have heard statements from the prime minister and across the various offending departments reassuring us that these are isolated offences. However, the trust of Black communities in this government is at an all-time low, the time for hollow rhetoric is long past. Actions speak louder than words.

In this spirit, I have written to Jeremy Quin, minister for the cabinet office, calling for him to conduct a full and thorough review of all government documentation to ensure that racist language is eradicated once and for all. At my request, the chair of the women and equalities committee, that I sit on, has also written to Kemi Badenoch, minister for women and equalities, to seek her assurance that there are no further government documents with such language.

Eradicating such language in state and crown documents is a small but necessary step in facing up to the legacy of the British Empire. Without this, we cannot hope to challenge its lasting impact today.

Kim Johnson is a British Labour Party politician and MP for Liverpool Riverside since 2019