This week Colin argues that Windrush Day is part of a broader ideological project to instil the idea that diversity “built Britain”.
While acknowledging the contributions of the 802 West Indian men who disembarked from the Empire Windrush in 1948, he argues that politicians and institutions have exaggerated their historical significance, turning a complex story of post-war migration into a national founding myth.
Colin explores the various ways this rewriting of British history is shaping the present, from replacing figures such as Sir Winston Churchill with images of wildlife on banknotes to what he sees as racially-biased coverage of the Notting Hill Carnival and the World Cup.
So, where does this leave us? Colin calls on Britain’s leaders to confront both the benefits and the costs of immigration and to end what he regards as the uncritical promotion of state-sponsored myths and simplistic narratives.
