Thursday 14 March 2024

Unprecedented Coalition Rallies for Diane Abbott Amidst Racism Row and Political Hypocrisy





In a remarkable show of unity, a broad coalition of leaders from the UK's most influential UK African Asian and Caribbean organisations committed to ending racism has penned an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, spotlighting the unsettling and alarming circumstances surrounding Diane Abbott, MP, the UK's first black female MP, and the broader issues of racism and hypocrisy within the nation's political landscape.

Diane Abbott, a veteran Labour MP, has found herself at the heart of a contentious racism row involving a significant Tory donor, Frank Hester, whose derogatory remarks about her have ignited widespread outrage. In addition, Hester's call for Diane to be shot in an age of increasing political violence is a criminal act worthy of prosecution. This controversy has been further inflamed by the Labour Party's attempt to leverage the scandal for fundraising purposes, despite Abbott's ongoing suspension and the party's reluctance to confront issues of racism and sexism within its ranks head-on.

In an email to its members, the Labour Party expressed indignation over the Conservative Party's refusal to return a £10m donation from Hester despite his definitive and unambiguous racist comments towards Abbott. This cynical fundraising approach has drawn sharp criticism from Abbott herself, who decried the rank hypocrisy of using her situation as a fundraising tool. At the same time, she and many Africans and Asians remain marginalised within the party, and Black communities across the UK read the Forde Report with anger and disgust. Kier Starmer's response to the Forde report's devastating findings has been sloth-like cosmetic and and performative.

The Speaker of the House humiliated Diane 40 times during the debate on Hester's comments. This enraged people throughout the country, as he quite doggedly and determinedly refused to call Diane. Millions of people stood with her each time she stood, and she persevered with tremendous strength, dignity, and poise.

The coalition's letter to the Prime Minister criticises the government's slow response to denounce Hester's comments as racist, suggesting it reflects a wider reluctance to tackle racism decisively. This reluctance, the coalition argues, not only undermines the fight against racism but also hints at a tacit acceptance of such ideologies within the political discourse.

The letter calls for immediate action, urging the Conservative Party to make a clear statement against racism and engage in meaningful dialogue on systemic racism. It emphasizes the need for the UK government to lead by example in the fight against racism and promote a society where equality, respect, and inclusivity are paramount.

This unprecedented coalition, including representatives from Operation Black Vote, Action for Race Equality, Runnymede Trust, Black Equity Organisation, Muslim Council of Britain, Racial Justice Advocacy Forum (representing the Black church) and many others, highlights the severity of the situation and the urgent need for a united stand against racism in all forms.

The situation surrounding Diane Abbott not only raises questions about political fundraising ethics but also casts a spotlight on the ongoing challenges of racism and sexism in UK politics. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of consistent and principled stands against race discrimination and the need for all political parties to reflect deeply on their policies, practices, and responses to racism within their ranks.

As this situation unfolds, it is clear that the coalition's call to action goes beyond a single incident, urging a comprehensive and enduring commitment to combating racism across the political spectrum. The unity and resolve demonstrated by this diverse group of leaders offer a beacon of hope for meaningful change and a more inclusive, equitable society.


To:  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak 

         10 Downing Street, 

         Westminster,

         London SW1A 2AA, 

Thursday, 14 March 2024

Dear Prime Minister Rishi Sunak,

Subject: Diane Abbott MP

We write to you collectively as concerned citizens and representatives of various national organisations committed to ending racism and promoting equality in our society. With a heavy heart and deep concern, we address the recent revelations surrounding Mr Frank Hester’s remarks and the Conservative Party’s response to them.

Firstly, we must express our profound disappointment and concern over the initial reluctance of Downing Street and Conservative ministers to denounce Mr Hester’s remarks as racist categorically. While we acknowledge the subsequent statement labelling the comments as "racist and wrong," this delayed response is emblematic of a broader, troubling trend within the current government's approach to addressing racism. The hesitancy to immediately and unequivocally condemn such remarks not only undermines the fight against racism but also signals a tacit acceptance of such ideologies within the political discourse.

Moreover, the fact that Mr. Hester felt emboldened to express such vile sentiments, to begin with, speaks to an increasingly normalised culture of racism that has been allowed to fester under the current administration. This normalisation is further compounded by the government's persistent denial of the reality of systemic racism, which has significant implications for the inclusivity and cohesiveness of our society.

The remarks made about Ms Diane Abbott MP are not only abhorrent and frightening, especially considering her status as Britain’s longest-serving Black MP and the personal impact these comments have had on her, but they also reflect a broader issue of racism and sexism that cannot be ignored. The donation of £10m to the Conservative Party by Mr Hester and his company, under these circumstances, becomes a matter of ethical concern and raises questions about the integrity and values that the Party wishes to uphold.

We, therefore, call on you, the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party to take immediate and tangible steps to address this situation. This includes a clear statement that the Conservative Party does not endorse racism in any form and is committed to taking a stand against it. 

We also urge your government to engage in a more meaningful dialogue on systemic racism, acknowledging its existence and working collaboratively with communities and organisations to dismantle these deep-seated inequities.

We note that you have celebrated the diversity of your cabinet and government. We would invite you to take this opportunity to champion the cause of anti-racism and to lead by example, demonstrating that the UK government is unequivocally committed to fighting racism and fostering a society where equality, respect, and inclusivity are paramount.

Sincerely,

David Weaver Chair Operation Black Vote

Shabna Begum CEO Runnymede Trust

Timi Okuwa, CEO of Black Equity Organisation

Jeremy Crook, CEO of Action for Race Equality 

Lee Jasper Chair Alliance of Police Accountability 

Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain. 

Viv Ahmun Co-Founder Blaksox

Lord Simon Woolley

Revd Wale Hudson-Roberts: Justice Enabler for the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Minister at John Bunyan Baptist Church, Oxford.

Dr Richard Reddie, Director of Justice and Inclusion: Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

Jabeer Butt OBE CEO Race Equality Foundation 

 


 





 

Tuesday 6 February 2024

Race and Labour: In 2020 Starmer took the knee; today, he's just taking the piss

Keir Starmer's Ideological Blind Spot on Systemic Racism: A Black Critique.


 

Written by Lee Jasper, Co-founder of Operation Black Vote, Former Senior Political Adviser to the Mayor of London, Former London Criminal Justice Board Member, and Chair of the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA)

 

In the aftermath of the 2019 general election defeat, Keir Starmer assumed the mantle of leadership of the Labour Party with promises of unity, pragmatism, and renewal. Yet, as Starmer's leadership unfolds, a critical and disconcerting ideological blind spot has become glaringly evident: a profound misunderstanding and neglect of systemic racism within the United Kingdom. This oversight not only alienates a chunk of Labour's base but also starkly undermines the party's historic commitment to social justice and equality.

 

The pivot under Starmer's leadership towards a centrist stance, symbolized by an embrace of patriotism and the Union flag, has marginalised crucial discussions on race and systemic inequalities. Starmer and his team blocked internal constitutional reforms proposed by Black Labour members by providing constitutional guarantees with a focus on tacking Labour Party's lack of Black representation, disproportionate disciplinaries targeting Black and Asian employees and racism in candidate selection and deselection process. 

 

In 2020 Starmer took the knee; today, he just taking the piss

 

This shift, at a time when global movements across the world demand bold leadership on racial justice, highlights Starmer's reluctance to directly address systemic racism, revealing a significant ideological blind spot, a jaundiced view nurtured and weaned on the British societal and political culture of racism and xenophobia.  

 

The treatment of high-profile Black MPs and activists, characterised by disciplinary actions and investigations, signals a troubling trend of silencing important voices in the fight for racial inequality. This issue, combined with Labour's lukewarm response to the Black Lives Matter movement and a notable absence of a comprehensive policy agenda to combat systemic racism, raises substantial doubts about Starmer's understanding of these critical matters.

 

Moreover, Starmer's leadership has been marked by notable inaction in implementing the recommendations from crucial reports like the Lammy Review, the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, The Forde Report and the Baroness Casey Review. 


The slow response to the Forde Report's revelations of racism within the Labour Party itself underscores a lack of commitment to meaningful change. This ideological blind spot extends into Labour's policy and messaging strategies, with the scaling back of ambitious racial equality plans and cautious rhetoric around policing, immigration, and racial justice.

 

Such an approach suggests an overarching concern with not alienating Daily Mail readers. This benign neglect destroys what’s left of Labour's overhyped reputation as the defender of the marginalised. The stone-cold fact is Labour quietly marches with the Tories on race. 

 

A stark illustration of this failure is the launch of Labour's 'race action plan' fronted by Annaliese Dodds MP on Monday, 5th February 2024. Described as a total shambles and a debacle, the launch was first cancelled and then hastily rearranged online under some bullshit pretext of ‘Gaza security concerns.” 

 

The back of a “fag packet plan” was heavily criticised by a range of Black institutions for its lack of any real substance, lack of community engagement with Labours Black members and pithy launch that spoke volumes. Such is the level of blatant disrespect, even the of the Black press were excluded. 

 

The chaotic nature of the event, as reported by attendees, underscores the initiative as a cheap PR stunt, a poorly organised tick-box exercise, deeply insulting to Black communities. 

Frankly, a group of sixth-form students could produce more credible strategies and policies contained within Labour's plan. 

 

The Labour Party's hesitance to address racial justice, evidenced by the Forde Report debacle, the marginalisation of Black and Asian members, and the failure to condemn racial atrocities unequivocally, reveals a superficial commitment to anti-racism. Labour's race equality proposals, dismissed as cosmetic and performative, epitomise a leadership that takes Black votes for granted, offering little in the way of substantive policy changes to dismantle systemic racism.

 

As Labour stands at this critical crossroads, it must confront its failings on systemic racism decisively. Without critical introspection and transformative action, Labour risks not only its electoral prospects but also its very soul. The party must embrace a bold stance on systemic racism to rebuild trust with Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities, affirming its commitment to the principles of equality and justice it professes to uphold. 

 

The time for decisive and authentic, radical action on issues of racial justice is now, more than ever and as James Brown famously sang, “It’s time to take it to the bridge,”

 

 

Sunday 4 February 2024

APA Slams Racial Attack on Met Black Police Association Chair and Calls for Discussion Re National Black Recruitment Boycott.


 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

In Important Election Year, APA Condemns Racially Charged Attack on Met BPA Chair And Backs National Black Police Association (NBPA) Presidents Calls for a National Discussion about Black Police Recruitment Boycott.


Date: Monday, 5th February 2024


The Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) strongly condemns the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) recent racially motivated misconduct investigation against the Chair of the Met Black Police Association (Met BPA), Charles Ehikioya. 

 

This act of suppression highlights the systemic racism ingrained within the MPS, as revealed by the Casey Review in 2023, which found Black officers to be disproportionately subjected to misconduct investigations.

 

APA Chair Lee Jasper stated, "The MPS's targeting of the Met BPA Chair is an egregious attack on the campaign for racial justice in the Met and an extension of this government's phoney ideological war on the woke. 


However, this year will see the Mayor of London and a general election take place. It's more crucial than ever for us to challenge systemic police racism. The MPS's weaponisation of the misconduct system against Black officers is unacceptable. It demonstrates the reality of a toxic policing culture of racism and discrimination that must be brutally confronted and completely dismantled."

 

In light of the upcoming Mayoral and General elections, the APA will be collaborating with a range of national Black organisations, including the NBPA, to demand greater action against racism within the MPS. 


Jasper added, 


"2024 is not just any year; it's a pivotal moment for us to hold the MPS accountable. The MPS year-old Turnaround Plan and the Mayor's Action Plan - now four years old - are deeply emblematic of failed and outdated policy approaches, filled with warm words and pious statements but with no substantive action or outcomes. We repeat  ad nauseam that the MPS Commissioner's routine denial of the existence of institutional racism is a significant and fundamental blind spot, preventing any real progress."

 

The investigation into the Met BPA Chair, instigated after he highlighted senior officers' misconduct and the racism faced by colleagues, appears to be a concerted effort to silence a prominent voice for racial equality within the force. The restrictions placed on the Chair, including barring his involvement in discrimination cases and attendance at MOPAC meetings, are a clear attempt to silence black voices for racial justice.

 

The APA echoes the sentiments of Leroy Logan MBE, Janet Hills MBE, and Mina Smallman regarding the challenges Black police officers and activists face within the MPS. Andy George, President of the NBPA, has voiced a lack of confidence in the MPS's leadership to enact necessary reforms, suggesting a temporary halt on BAME recruitment into the MPS until significant changes are made. The APA believes this approach should now be discussed nationally among a range of national Black organisations as an urgent priority. 


President of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), Andy George, said, "Given the crisis in confidence highlighted through so many incidents and reports, I cannot say that we can adequately protect and support officers of colour within the MPS. For that reason, I take the extraordinary step of saying that we no longer have confidence in the Commissioner or his senior leadership team to bring about the necessary and promised reforms to the service. I also regretfully recommend that anyone from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds do not join the MPS until there is more rigorous accountability placed on the Commissioner and more resources are given to the Met BPA so they can provide wrap-around support to those in need.”

 

The APA fully supports the NBPA's demands for an immediate end to the racially motivated investigation against the Met BPA Chair. We call for genuine, transparent reform within the MPS to eliminate systemic racism and restore trust in the communities they are meant to serve. As we approach critical election milestones, the APA, alongside our partners, will intensify our efforts in demanding a policing system that is fair, just, and accountable to all Londoners.

 

End of Release

 

About the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA): The APA is a coalition of activists, community leaders, and justice advocates dedicated to systemic reform within the policing system. Our mission is to ensure fairness, justice, and accountability, promoting a policing culture that respects and protects the rights of all communities, particularly those historically marginalized and oppressed by systemic racism and discrimination.

Friday 26 January 2024

Crisis Unfolds: The Shocking Surge in Britain's Policing of Innocent Black Children.



Crisis Unfolds: The Shocking Surge in Britain's Policing of Innocent Black Children

The news that there has been a 13% increase in the last year in the stop and searches of Black children will come as both horrifying and devastating news to many in Britain's Black communities and beyond. 

Recently published Home Office data revealed that in the last year, we have seen a massive ramping up of racial profiling and targeting black children by British police forces across the UK and, in particular, London at the hands of the Metropolitan Police. 

And the terrible news is these figures are rising, and child arrests are becoming increasingly violent. 

In addition to this worrying new trend, London-based youth charity Redthread has publically expressed its concerns after youth workers reported seeing increased incidents of black children, particularly black boys, arriving in hospital A& E departments after suffering from Taser injuries, head injuries, memory loss and trauma resulting from violent arrests. 

The majority of these arrests have led to no further action. In other words, most children are innocent of any crime. 

Recently published Home Office statistics indicate that out of 100,000 children stopped by police nationally last year, 20% were black youth, a stark overrepresentation given they constitute only 6% of the general population. 


Figures courtesy of @gmhalyes on X 

Alarmingly, nearly 90% of these young individuals, subjected to the indignity and distress of racial profiling under the guise of 'intelligence-led' policing, were subsequently found to be innocent.


Figures courtesy of @gmhales on X 

According to a report discussed in November 2023 at the newly created London Policing Board, over 70 children required hospital treatment, including plastic surgery for dog bites and taser injuries following violent, aggressive arrests that caused a range of injuries and severe trauma.


Terrell Decosta Jones-Burton, a 15-year-old, receiving critical hospital treatment following a wrongful and violent arrest while cycling in Bermondsey, South London, in 2017. 
The Officer concerned was cleared of any wrongdoing

The political context. 

The very year that saw the cases of Child Q, X and A (a ten-year-old Black girl tasered by the Met) alongside the excoriating publication of the Casey Review, the response from officers on the ground was to target more Black children. 

That message from the ranks was crystal clear; they gave us the metaphorical middle finger; despite the warm words and rhetoric of the Commissioner and statements by the Mayor of London about 'tackling racism in the Met,' the objective response is clearly written in these disturbing figures. 

In short, Met officers have decided the best way to respond to widespread concerns about their proactive racist practice is to ramp up the targeting of Black children. 

The consequence is that we now see a new development in the nature and scale of systemic racism in operational policing. That is the transparent extension of the type of vicious systemic racism and heavy-handed police brutality generally reserved for adults, which is now being extended to our children.

Think about that for one minute. 

OK, let's keep it moving.  

The Met is a police force, not a service. Referring to a systemically racist institution as a 'Service' is a total misnomer that fails to accurately reflect the reality of their oppressive policing of London's Black communities. 

The term 'Service' implies a commitment to public welfare and safety, a standard that is starkly contradicted by the systemic racism and brutality embedded within the culture of the Metropolitan Police. 

The stone-cold truth and their own figures prove this the Metropolitan Police Force oppresses black communities rather than protecting them and discriminates rather than serves. 


London's Black communities should redefine the Metropolitan Police as the ' Metropolitan Police Force.'  This encapsulates the harsh, bitter truth and the oppressive nature of the policing of London's Black communities  

Publically redesignating the Met as a force, not a service, acknowledges the harrowing experiences of those on the receiving end of their racist policing practices and serves as a constant reminder of the urgent need for systemic reform within this institution.

The Met doesn't care about your concerns. 

We all know the horrendous cases of Child Q, Child X and Child A and the public outcry that followed. Yet here we are today, with these new Home Office figures confirming that what we are witnessing is a very worrying and growing trend: the criminalisation of black children being subject to racial profiling and violent arrests.  


The Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) highlighted the issue of adultification and the Case of Child X late last year, revealing the horrific armed hard stop that saw a 13-year-old schoolboy rammed off his scooter and held at gunpoint. At an APA public meeting (held at the IDPAD Centre in Hackney, the family's home borough), we saw a packed venue and a furious crowd demanding justice and accountability. Yet despite widespread and overwhelming public condemnation – not a single officer has been disciplined regarding this Case.  



 Things are getting worse. 

This important Hackney public meeting, followed by another APA pubic meeting among the Somalia communities of Lambeth at Stockwell Community Centre (where a 14-year-old Muslim girl was aggressively arrested outside her school by a School Police Officer) both gave a solid mandate for the APA urgently expose and address this critical issue. Parents at both meetings were angry and demanded action. The APA is serving the community and has decided to take action.  

According to data provided by the Metropolitan Police, 31 children between 11-17 years old required hospitalisation for police-related injuries across London in 2023. However, this figure was immediately challenged by Redthread, who alone recorded 24 child injuries after the use of police force in the same period at just eight London hospitals. The conclusion is clear - we can have no confidence that the Met's figures capture the actual reality. 

We suspect there is a massive underreporting of the violent arrests of all children, particularly Black children, who are hospitalised due to the use of police force, the vast majority of whom are guilty of no crime.  Redthread youth workers reported seeing increased numbers of children arrive at hospitals with injuries such as police dog bites and other injuries received during arrest and other interactions with the police. These included head injuries, fractures, memory loss and wounds requiring plastic surgery. 

The significant point to note is that this disproportionality has increased over the last two years, at the same time as public concerns over previous child arrests and the publication of the  Casey Review. Black communities are being policed by the worst nightmares and stereotypical anti-Black assumptions of serving racist police officers and commented upon by a largely unrepresented and hostile press. 


What the above figures show is that despite the racist stereotypical reporting of sections of the press, the reality is that both Asian and White communities are more likely to be arrested for gun crimes. Figures courtesy of @gmhalyes on X

The Talk.

One aspect of the lived Black experience that is not well understood is the extent to which black parents are forced to provide survival techniques and advice to their children in the event they encounter aggressive and racist policing. 

Baroness Casey, in her searing and devastating report into police racism, misogyny, and homophobia, was at pains to point out to predominantly white audiences, in many subsequent interviews and speeches, this little-known (outside of Black communities) fact. 

Until she spoke with black parents, she was entirely unaware of the realities of how black families are forced to equip their children with the skills necessary to successfully navigate the realities of systemic racism in policing. There comes a time as children approach adolescence when Black parents will sit down with their sons and daughters and have "the talk.

This coming-of-age 'talk' involves equipping their children with the knowledge, tactics, and skills to de-escalate an encounter with racist police officers. Is this really the vision of a multicultural Britain we want to see? One where our children are increasingly seen as 'fair game' by a predatory police force that refuses to accept the toxic reality of their profoundly dysfunctional policing culture

It's less than a year since Baroness Casey published her damning review highlighting what the black community has known for the last five decades that the Metropolitan Police Service is a systemically racist, misogynist, and homophobic organisation. We would add to that list Institutional islamophobia. 

What is crystal clear is the persistence of police racism leads us to conclude that racism is secreted into the very sequencing of the Met's organisational DNA. 

What the Baroness Casey Review revealed was the reality of a racial hierarchy and a bruising, dominant and deeply dysfunctional policing culture that infects every aspect of the organisation. 

And let's be clear about the broader dynamics at play: it took the brutal murder of a woman, Sarah Everards (whose grandfather was a Jamaican from Saint Elizabeth), by a serving police officer, followed by the vicious policing of the Sarah Everard memorial at Clapham Common, and finally the intervention of another white woman Baroness Casey, to inform the British public, of precisely the very same things Black communities have been telling the powers that be for the last 50 years. 

London accounted for almost a third (32%) of stop and searches of children in England and Wales. Baroness Casey was right when she said stopping and searching by force needed "a fundamental reset". She also highlighted research that shows "larger numbers of Black people felt traumatised and humiliated by the experience of stop and search than other ethnic groups."

Black Trauma Matters. 

Imaging the trauma experienced by Black children, their families and the broader community of repeated, aggressive and, on occasion, violent policing by a hostile force? 

Police racism is deep, persistent and consistent. History demonstrated that within the beating heart of the culture of policing lies an unrelenting river of racism infecting every aspect of operational policing, stop and search, road traffic stops, drug possession, rape, murder investigations, Case after wretched Case has been publicly exposed and driven home the terrifying point that we are subject to the soft apartheid and devastating outcomes of police service that has effectively demonised Black adults and children as being inherently criminal and dangerous. 

Racial profiling requires a closed system mindset and is just one aspect of a systemic culture of racism. It's a self-reinforcing belief system where disproportionate focus on Black people leads to disproportionate stop and searches and increased arrests that inevitably leads, somewhat ironically, to the reinforcement of police prejudicial stereotypes that justify a continued disproportionate focus on Black people. Psychologically, police officers have, in other words, executed, rationalised and justified their innate prejudice as 'just doing my job."

Policing culture. 

Such is the ferocity of the culture of policing (and all greenlit by the stubborn refusal of the Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to admit his force is systemically racist) that the subculture or what was once known as 'canteen culture' simply eats race equality policies for breakfast, followed by sexual equality for lunch, and a late snack on those tasty LGTBQ policies. Such woke policies are despised mainly and ignored by the massed ranks of PCs. 


A Call To Action. 

In conclusion, the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) is issuing an urgent call to action, appealing to every concerned citizen, community leader, and human rights advocate to amplify our message. We urge you to share this article and our crucial petition. This petition is directed at the Mayor of London, the London Policing Board, and the Home Office, demanding immediate action to address the profoundly concerning practices of the Metropolitan Police Force. 


Specifically, we are calling for the Metropolitan Police Force to be mandated to routinely monitor and report all interactions with children under the age of 18, especially in instances where force is used or the children require hospital treatment. 
This is a critical step towards transparency and accountability, ensuring that the rights and well-being of our children are safeguarded.

Furthermore, we insist that the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor directly consult with London's Black communities. The aim is to develop stringent, transparent, and fair protocols governing the strip search of children, particularly in sensitive cases where intimate body parts are exposed. Such measures are vital to protect our youth's dignity and rights and prevent the misuse of police authority.

Your support in sharing this article and endorsing the petition is invaluable. It is a step towards ensuring justice and upholding the rights of our children and towards building a society where the safety and dignity of every child are paramount, irrespective of race or background.

To this end, the APA will also host a "Policing and the Black Child Conference" (hat tip to Diane Abbott MP- if you know, you know) in March 2024 in partnership with the University of East London's Peel Centre on Policing one year on from the publication of the Casey Review. Contact us if you want to join our APA-focused youth working group developing the conference's theme.  

Conference details will be announced soon. 

Follow APA for more info. 

 

 

Saturday 3 September 2022

GMC Continues to Target Black Doctors for Investigation. Dr Valentine Udoye's story will leave you shocked and stunned.



My name is Dr Valentine Udoye, the background and the origination of my persecution by GMC
are as follows:

I am a full registered Medical Practitioner with the General Medical Council, with registration no (6094869) since 2007

I graduated from Nnamdi Azikiwe University -Nigeria in 1999, where I was awarded MBBS. I registered with the Nigerian Medical Council (FM 27,449) in 1999. I started my medical practice with Nnamdi Azikiwe where I worked as a House Officer from 1999- Jan 2001, after which I moved to practice as a General Practitioner in Nigeria.

I worked as a GP in various hospitals in Nigeria before coming to UK in 2005.

The reason for this move was due to a horrific bandit attack on one of my trips on the motorway, where I witnessed murder, rape and beatings by bandits up to 30 in number. After coming out unhurt, this led to the decision to leave Nigeria for a better life for my family in the UK.

From 2005-2010, I did clinical attachments and worked as a trust grade doctor - FY1 and FY2 levels in various hospitals in the UK.

Due to my experience in general practice in Nigeria, I wanted to continue my medical practice here in the UK as a General Practitioner. On enquiry, I did understand that I could practice as a GP in the UK via two routes:

1. (a)  By obtaining a certificate of completion of training in General Practice (CCT) or
2. (b)  By obtaining a certificate of eligibility for GP registration as an international GP

Having weighed my options in terms of length of time and cost, I decided to pursue a CCT route. I applied for GP training, and I was accepted to do the training in Scotland. During my GP training, I had to apply for a visa every time I changed hospitals, which I couldn't afford as a father of a young family.
Therefore, I changed to a Tier 1 visa to avoid frequent visa applications. 

Unfortunately, I realised I couldn't work as a trainee under this Tier 1 category.
Thus, I decided to stop GP training.

In light of this dilemma, I decided to develop my GP skills by working in various departments as a non-trainee from 2011 to 2014. Having a wide experience in different fields of medicine, I decided to renew my desire to go for registration as a GP with GMC. 

Because of my experience in 2011, I decided to take the CEGPR route ( Certificate of Eligibility for GP registration). The information on the RCGP website stated that exams for membership could alternatively be taken abroad in countries such as Dubai.

I contacted the Royal College of General Practitioners Office in Dubai, and I was informed of the requirements I had to meet in order to sit the MRCG exam, as well as the exam curriculum. I noted that the exam curriculum in the UK is the same curriculum obtainable in Dubai.

I prepared for the exams from late 2014 to 2015, and I flew to Dubai on three occasions to take some of the preparatory courses in accordance with the Curriculum. Having finished the courses in Dubai, I took the MRCGP exams. I passed all the courses, including AKT & CSA. I was thereafter awarded MRCGP(INT).

This indicates that notwithstanding my qualification as a GP in Nigeria, I am now a certified General medical practitioner accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners in the UK and worldwide. This certificate satisfies the criteria for registration as a GP with GMC. I, therefore, made an application to the GMC in 2016 for a certificate of Eligibility for GP registration.

However, The GMC, in consideration of my application, refused my registration on the grounds that I needed more training and experience in certain areas of general practice, which the GMC recommended could be fulfilled through general practice training in the UK; or through General Practice work experience in the UK or gain the necessary competencies in the posts other than GP training.

Determined to practice as a GP, I found that the GMC, in their refusal decision, stated that the responsibility to undertake any further training to meet up with their recommendations rests in me. I enquired from the NHS Health Education as to what I should do next to be able to practice as a GP.
I was advised to contact the Head of Continuing Practice, Postgraduate School of Primary Care Health Education England North East, in the name of Dr Iain Lawther. 

In April 2016, I contacted him with an enquiry about the best way for me to proceed to GP Practice in the UK. My email enquiry which clearly set out my dilemmatic situation was provided to GMC. Dr Lawther (whom the NHS Officers I contacted for advice directed me to) responded to my enquiry and clearly and rightly acknowledged that I, as an international GP, was entitled to take the route of Induction via the NHS Induction and Refreshers Scheme programme (I & R Scheme) his organisation, Health Education England runs.

Dr Lawther made it clear to me that the I& R scheme is for those GPs who were trained and qualified abroad and who would want to enter the UK to practice as GP. He directed that there were, however, some exams and processes to undertake, which included interviews, pre-assessment exams, and clinical placements.

When it became clear that I was entitled to undertake further training under the I&R scheme, all the officers of the NHS continuing education and speciality programme was involved in making it possible for me to undertake this training, and I was so grateful to all of them particularly Dr Lawther, Ellaine Griffiths and Dr Tranter.

I was asked to undertake the first pre-assessment exam in stimulatory Surgery, which I did and had a successful outcome. I was told to proceed to clinical placement in Surgery as part of the scheme. I was eventually sent for I & R placement at Mansion House Surgery under the supervision of Dr Richard Tranter, who is a GP training Programme Director in the North East, for the remaining part of the training scheme.



I worked hard to write all the assessments and works assigned to me by my clinical supervisor -Dr Tranter, and at the end of the 6 months of training, I passed all the courses, and I succeeded. I was given the structure report necessary for my registration as a GP with the GMC.  As soon as my structural report was sent to Health Education England North East, a request for full Performances List inclusion was requested. 

Then, an allegation from nowhere was fabricated that I was working as a full GP while I was undertaking the training placement as part of the I & R scheme at Mansion House Surgery. I could not believe what was happening, and before I knew it, this was escalated to GMC, who initiated an investigation and immediately moved to the Interim Tribunal of MPTS to get interim restriction orders against me on the basis of protecting public interests and patient safety.

My practice was restricted for 15 months; however, my lawyers made an application for review in December 2018 to IOT of the MPTS, which revoked the restrictions order on the basis that even if I had practised as a GP as alleged for the 6 months training placement, there was no risks report or any concerns raised during the training period and more importantly, I have finished the training. Therefore, there was no need for any restriction since I moved back to my employer to continue my work as a locum specialist Doctor.

I thought that by the MPTS IOT decision, GMC would agree with the IoT reasoning and its order of revocation and leave me alone. Unfortunately, my lawyer received a letter from GMC in January 2019 that they would be proceeding to drag me to Medical Practitioners Tribunal services (MPTS) for Fitness to practice to investigate me on totally new allegations. 

The allegations were that whilst I was undertaking the training placement at the Mansion surgery, I was paid the I & R scheme bursary, which the GMC argued I was not entitled to receive on the basis that I was not entitled to undertake the I & R scheme programme. 

They alleged that by my receiving the bursary, I have been dishonest.


The GMC further alleged that during the filling of my application for the I & R scheme form in 2016, I had ticked yes to the question “are you on the GP GMC register” which was a one-off mistake among all other similar questions I had ticked correctly. 

That by me ticking yes, I have been dishonest. These allegations were subjected to MPTS proceedings from January 2019 until January 2020, when the MPTS dismissed all the allegations without finding even misconduct on my part. I thought I was resurrected from death, and it was the end of my trial part of life, but alas.

Despite the fact that the MPTS proceedings lasted for 2 years before I was finally acquitted of all GMC charges on January 2020, and despite the huge financial burden I personally faced throughout the duration of the GMC proceeding, the GMC appealed the MPTS to the High Court.

All my sickness resurfaced, and I was struggling all the while with emotional, psychological and financial hazards, including the impacts which led to the breakup of my marriage. 

That effect has not left me to date. 

Then, the High Court, rather than acknowledging that the MPTS had heard the 8 witnesses presented by GMC and all of them did not blame me, including the Lead and the Director of Health Education England North East who runs the I & R scheme, ignored all of these and set aside the MPTS determination and remitted it back to a different MPTS panel albeit not on grounds of public interest or patient safety reasons but only on the technicality that MPTS did not understand the GMC case.

The remittal hearing has been again listed for 13 days long hearing in October 2022, which in effect subjected me further to another huge financial hardship, psychological and emotional trauma.  I have been struggling to sleep for the past 4 years. My marriage has broken down, and my children have been confused about what has been happening to me. 

I really need help.

I am facing serious emotional, psychological and financial trauma because of the GMC’s unwarranted attacks against me. GMC’s attacks on me are without any justified reasons. I have never practised as a GP during the I & R training placement; rather, I was under the supervision of a GP trainer Dr Tranter who also confirmed that I was his candidate and an I & R GP trainee.

GMC’s unwarranted and aggravated atrocious attacks on me and other BAME doctors need to be brought to the attention of the public with a view to stopping their unnecessary attacks on medical doctors in the UK, particularly against BAME doctors. 

This has destroyed my family, what I have worked for, and me as a person. Additionally,  I am struggling now to live with a lot of debts accruing from legal costs in defence of GMC attacks and persecutions. 

Call to action. 

My hearing is due to take place in Manchester on 29th September at 10.00 am at Medical Practitioners Tribunal Hearing St James Building, 79 Offord Street, Manchester M1 6FQ.  

I ask that you share this article. Promote my campaign material, and finally, help me mobilise community attendance at my forthcoming hearing.