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Calls for action, not words, as Johnson launches UK racism commission

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came under pressure on Monday to deliver action on racism after he launched a commission on racial inequalities following Black Lives Matter protests.

In the video below,  global protests over the killing of George Floyd:


Johnson said a cross-government commission would examine racism and the disparities experienced by minority ethnic groups in education, health and the criminal justice system.

But he gave few details about the commission, leading to criticism that he was prevaricating rather than delivering concrete steps.

“It’s the sort of morning that makes me slightly wary, because it feels like we’re going round in circles,” said David Lammy, an opposition Labour lawmaker whose own report into over-representation of black people in the criminal justice system is one of several whose findings have not yet been implemented.

“The time for review is over and the time for action is now.”

Johnson said he could not ignore the strength of feeling shown by tens of thousands of people who had demonstrated in British cities following the death of African American George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last month.

“What I really want to do as prime minister is change the narrative, so we stop the sense of victimisation and discrimination,” he said on Sunday.

“It won’t be easy. We’ll have to look very carefully at the real racism and discrimination that people face.”

On Monday, Johnson’s spokesperson said that work to establish the commission had already begun, and a report on findings and recommendations was expected by the end of 2020.

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