Thank you Bishop Desmond.
It is a great pleasure to be here today and to be able to address the Windrush National Organisation International Conference, and to thank you for all that you do, and to thank all of you for being here and to have the opportunity to listen and to learn from you all.
I was proud to be appointed by the Prime Minister as the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, and to support the Home Secretary with overall responsibility for Windrush in the Home Office.
Yesterday we held the first ever Black History Month debate in the Chamber in Parliament, in government time, as opposed to a back bench debate, in which I was able to speak on behalf of the government.
To have held a debate in Black History Month, in government time is a mark of how the new Labour administration is putting equality at the heart of all we do, and it is in that spirit that I speak to you all today.
Since the 1980s we have celebrated Black History Month.
And it has moved from the fringes to the mainstream, across our schools, our colleges, and our workplaces.
But indeed, our understanding of history is constantly evolving, as new scholarship reveals new stories and new narratives, reveals new truths, and enhances our understanding of the experience of the black community in the UK.
These stories are important because they teach us about ourselves and our national story. The purpose of Black History Month is to amplify black history, not to confine it to four weeks.
This is the story of all of us.
And I want to thank Bishop Desmond, Nigel Guy, Glenda Caesar, Reverend Clive , who I spoke with this week and everyone at the Windrush National Organisation for this opportunity to join you and for all you do to support the Windrush generation and their descendants. And I’m grateful also to be able to hear and connect with advocates also from the South Asian community who have spoken today, and others who we know are also affected by this scandal.
Today I want to reiterate the government’s commitment to the Windrush generation.
To turn the page in our determination to rebuild trust with the Windrush communities as a key part of our work in the Home Office.
It is time for a re-set.
It has been 76 years since HMT Empire Windrush arrived in Tilbury Docks, bringing those who answered the call to help re-build our country.
A generation that has gone on to make an immeasurable contribution to our society and to our economy.
Our public services. Our NHS. Our business and trade. Our politics.
Our armed forces, Our culture and heritage.
The Windrush scandal saw Windrush and Commonwealth communities who had, and have, the right to live in this country victimised because they were unable to prove that right through no fault of their own.
And while in opposition, as we’ve heard, we made it clear that the Windrush scandal must never be repeated. The last government’s response was far too slow, far too weak, and did not deliver justice to those who were betrayed and failed.
Yesterday the Home Secretary published an update on the government’s progress in fulfilling our manifesto commitment to the Windrush generation, as we seek to ensure that all receive the support that they deserve quickly and efficiently. A manifesto commitment that she confirmed ahead of the election would be one of her key priorities.
I want to acknowledge today as well, the work of Wendy Williams on the Windrush Lessons Learned Review and I want to share some of the announcements we have made this week.
We are reigniting the vital transformation work from the Lessons Learned Review to embed lasting changes in how the department serves all communities and I was pleased to be with the Home Secretary where we discussed our plans with Wendy Williams this week.
We are establishing a Windrush Commissioner; an independent advocate for all those affected. This role will oversee the compensation scheme’s delivery, the implementation of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, and act as a trusted voice for families and communities.
We have re-established, as promised, a Windrush Unit in the Home Office reporting to the departmental Ethics Adviser and dedicated to driving forward the action needed to ensure that what happened to the Windrush generation can never happen again to any part of our society.
And the new unit stands ready to support the Windrush Commissioner when appointed.
The renewed work and the recruitment of a dedicated Windrush Commissioner must drive enduring change that matters to the Windrush community and has wider impact across the whole department and across government.
It is time to right the wrongs of Windrush, and it also important to say that the package that we announced yesterday is a first step, and we welcome the ongoing conversations with campaigners and with all of you, and the ongoing challenge and the desire to work with you and to be held to account.
Change is absolutely going to come.
And I also want to also speak briefly about the Windrush Compensation Scheme. During the lead-up to the general election, we frequently heard, as you do, from the community and stakeholders that the application process is far too complicated, and the available support for making a claim is inadequate.
To address this, we are injecting £1.5 million spend into a program of grant funding for organisations to help provide that essential advocacy and support for applicants who need additional help with the application process. We need to ensure that claimants feel supported.
And for many, filling a claim is intimidating and requires them to revisit past traumas. By sharing their experiences with impartial community members, we want to make sure this process is as supportive as possible.
We are committed to seeing that the Windrush Compensation and Status Schemes are delivering effectively, and that communities are aware of how to apply to them.
I know that the financial compensation will never make up for the pain, the suffering and the loss that many of you or your family members or community members have also experienced.
But we are committed to ensuring those affected receive the documentation they require and the compensation they deserve.
Over £95 million in compensation has been paid out so far and over 17,400 people have been issued with documentation confirming their status or British Citizenship.
This is a movement in the right direction, but I have heard and I understand the frustration within Windrush communities that claims – and justice – have taken far too long.
That’s why on getting into government, we also established a new single named caseworker process for the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
This change was in direct response to feedback from individuals and groups like the WNO and is designed to increase transparency – so that anyone who makes a claim knows that they can speak to a single person who is there for them and who can support them through the process.
We are also rapidly reviewing the issue of private and occupational pensions losses which has caused real frustration and concern.
I want to reassure you, that all the Windrush schemes will remain open until every single person affected by the scandal has had a chance to submit their claims.
But I also know how vital it is to be listening to the voices of victims and for the government to rebuild trust with the community.
The right to be heard. The need for healing.
We are determined to hear from communities first hand and ensure greater transparency by listening to victims, to stakeholders, and communities, and renew our work on reviewing the implementation of the Windrush Lesson Learned Review recommendations.
And we will be working closely and collaboratively with victims and communities who have been impacted. Yesterday the Home Secretary held a round table at the Black Cultural Archives and we will be engaging at more events around the country. It is vital that we maintain forums for open and for honest dialogue, constructive criticism and positive feedback.
I have also been pleased to hear of the success of the WNO national tour, and I am pleased that my officials have been able to support at every event around the country, from Bradford to Bristol to Edinburgh, and I know that the team in the Home Office will continue to be working closely with the Windrush National Organisation.
Only by hearing and reflecting on the impact that policy making had and continues to have on victims and their families’ lives, can government ensure that we never let such an injustice happen again.
I am joined today as well by officials from the department with responsibility for the Windrush Schemes. Gabi Monk, the Director of Customer Operations Support Services is here. We’ve also got Abby and Katie, members of the Windrush compensation scheme. They are here also to talk and to listen to you.
And I want to also re-iterate that we are working at pace across government to develop and deliver wider proposals to address persistent racial inequalities, wherever they arise.
From introducing our Renters’ Rights Bill and our Employment Rights Bill, and developing our Race Equality Bill, we are proud to continue our record of anti-discrimination legislation.
This work is at the core of our ambitious, mission-based programme to change this country.
And so, let me conclude by thanking you for inviting me to speak at this extremely important conference today.
We are fully committed to righting the wrongs of the Windrush scandal.
We understand the importance of this work and we will not rest until all those who are affected have received the compensation that they deserve, and that we collectively begin to see the Windrush scandal coming to an end.
And that in its place is a legacy of change.
And finally, our message to the Windrush generation is clear – we are grateful to you, and we will do right by you.
Thank you.