Diane Abbott is Shadow Minister for Public Health and MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. She has been the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament. Diane is founder of the London Schools and the Black Child initiative, which aims to raise educational achievement levels amongst Black children.
What are the implications of the cuts proposed by the Government for migrants living in London?
These cuts will hit women and black & ethnic minorities the hardest. This is because women are disproportionately employed in the public sector and are also big users of some services being cut. As far as refugees and asylum seekers are concerned, many of the services set up for them are non-statutory, those services will be the first to be cut.
How are migrants living in London affected by recent political comments on 'failed multiculturalism'?
The attacks on multiculturalism are really attacks on diversity and the presence of black and brown people in the community so all people of colour, including refugees and asylum seekers, should feel threatened by these attacks.
In the current economic and political climate, what type of policies could be implemented in order to protect migrants living in the UK?
In the current economic and political climate, it is difficult to see what policies this Tory-Led Government would be willing to implement in order to protect refugees and asylum seekers.
There has been much talk about possible changes to visa procedures in the UK, such as abolishing a post-study visa and limiting the amount of visas issued each year. How do you think such changes would affect migrants living in London?
The changes to visa regulations will not necessarily affect refugees and asylum seekers who are currently living in London because of course they already have their visas.
What long-term effects could such changes have on the multi-cultural city of London? To what extend do you think that the debate of failed multiculturalism is contradicting the planned implementation of cuts?
As we move into a period where ordinary families will feel under economic pressure, unscrupulous politicians will bang the anti-diversity drum. Men and women of goodwill have to organise to resist this.
