London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 10, 2025

Rishi Sunak says 'of course' racism exists here after PM claims UK is not racist

The Chancellor has taken a remarkably different stance on the Black Lives Matter protests to Boris Johnson this evening, by acknowledging that ‘of course’ racism exists in the UK.
Rishi Sunak condemned the ‘small minority’ who committed acts of violence and vandalism, following demonstrations over the death of George Floyd – but said anti-racism protesters would help make permanent change.

His comments follow much harsher interventions from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Priti Patel, who both condemned ‘thuggery’ at marches in London, after dozens of police officers were injured and statues were vandalised.

Mr Sunak tweeted: ‘As a British Asian of course I know that racism exists in this country. And I know people are angry and frustrated. They want to see, and feel, change. But a better society doesn’t happen overnight – like all great acts of creation, it happens slowly and depends on the cooperation of each of us toward that common goal.’

Earlier, the PM had said he did not believe Britain was a racist country. But this evening Mr Johnson made more conciliatory comments in a Twitter video calling for the country to ‘lawfully defeat racism and discrimination’.

The Chancellor spoke out hours earlier, amid ongoing Black Lives Matter demonstrations, which have seen anti-racism campaigners take to the streets worldwide during the coronavirus pandemic.

He acknowledged the anger and frustration of people who ‘want to see, and feel, change’.

His words came after the PM and Ms Patel, who has Indian and Ugandan heritage, both condemned violent scuffles in strong terms.

The Home Secretary promised to double the sentences for those who assault police officers, branding them ‘thugs and criminals’.

Mr Sunak’s statement, posted on Twitter this evening, continued: ‘The truth is we have created a country far more inclusive and fairer than at any point in its history. Does this mean our story is over? No, but we shouldn’t ignore the hard work of the many generations who came before us.’

Addressing those who caused trouble, the Chancellor said: ‘To the small minority who committed acts of violence and vandalism last weekend, not only were your actions criminal, but they also perpetuate a dangerous lie: that the temporary excitement of destruction is the same thing as change.

‘You are, and always will be, wrong.’

Offering hope to those peacefully demonstrating, he added: ‘But to the vast majority who seek only peaceful protest within the law and a better future for themselves and their children: whilst our progress feels slow, I promise you it is permanent.’

There also appeared to be some division among Labour MPs over the anti-racism movement today, after new leader Sir Keir Starmer said activists were ‘completely wrong’ to topple a statue of a slave trader in Bristol.

Former Shadow Equalities Secretary Dawn Butler tweeted: ‘I’m sorry but Activists were not completely wrong.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
×