BY BEN KERRIGAN
A row between some members of the traveling community and the Mayor of Newham over a comment made in relation to the former’s request.
The issue came up over topics scheduled for an agenda in the meetings which stated that “no need has been demonstrated for new gypsy-traveler [sic] accommodation at the present time”, and in which the deputy mayor Lester Hudson asked if he could have the addresses of the objectors.
Mayor Sir Robin Wales replied: “I think what Lester is saying is that we would be very happy to set up a site right next to their house. But Debby Kennett, joint-CEO of LGTU, said the comments were indicative of a form of prejudice “still deemed acceptable”.
“It would not be acceptable to make a comment like that about anyone else.”
Debby said she hopes the comments spark an investigation after LGTU complained to both Newham Council and EHRC because the comments need to be “confronted”.
DEEP ROOTED
Mike Doherty, the editor of the Travelers’ Times magazine, waded into the dispute saying ” it shows how deep-rooted prejudice against that community is.
“It’s often called the last acceptable form of racism,” he said. “People don’t think [Gypsies and Travelers] will complain.“Such is the prejudice, they probably don’t think they can even read.”
“What if they said this about another racial group?” he asked. “Or about poor people?”
In response to the Recorder article, deputy mayor Cllr Lester Hudson said: “I was absolutely serious when I asked to understand more about objectors to our approach, not the objective.
One mistake here is that prejudicial comments made about gypsies cannot be defined as racist because it has nothing to do with color. Prejudice is the strongest terminology that can be used with respect the allegation made, if at all the comments made were prejudicial. The race card seems to be used to readily in today’s society even where there is no connection to race. Racism is a reality for many people, but nis not as pronounced in Britain as some will rather us believe
Our diversity and level of multi-culturalism is testament to the level of integration in this country. White gypsies cannot complain of racism because it is not appropriate to any circumstances they may find themselves in. It is questionable whether the comments made where even reflective of any form of prejudice or whether they were merely a comment made that was taken out of context.
RESIGNATION
Newham Green Party leader Rachel Collinson, meanwhile, unjustifiably said she will be calling for the mayor to resign. She told reporters :
“I was aghast when I read Robin Wales’ comments that suggested people would not want to live next door to a certain race,” she said. “I wondered if I had somehow started reading a back issue of a paper from the 1930s. However, there are no grounds for resignation here, and such calls are cheap attack on the mayor which will fall on deaf ears.
The issue is at hand is for Newham Council and the Mayor of Newham to decide whether there is need to build extra traveling sites, and be sensitive to their needs in light of real verifiable facts . However, charges of racism are unfounded here and should not even be entertained.
BY BEN KERRIGAN
