Our 2nd Great Missed Speech was for an amendment to Motion 43 on racism and migration. Below is the amendment and Kieran's planned speech!
President, Conference.
This is not my first conference but it is my first time speaking. To be honest, standing up here always looked pretty scary, but this issue is close to my heart so I took the plunge. Some in my delegation have had to listen to my irritation with some of the great and good who have apparently suddenly discovered anti racism over the last few days, and chosen to direct their ire not against the organised racists of the far right but against a man who has spent his life fighting against all forms of discrimination.
Last year, following Trump’s visible cosying up to racists, nasty little fascist group Britain First tried another one of its tours of Midlands towns and cities. That means a group of racist thugs turning up in our town centre, trying to provoke local people, goading people, shoving their phones into people’s faces and trying to stir up racial and religious hatred. Derby is a diverse and multicultural city that welcomes people from all over the world, and Trump’s words and deeds are felt here, creating both anger at outrages like the Muslim ban and his comments about ‘sh*thole countries’, but also anger at and fear of the kind of people who will take heart from his words.
We know that if these ideas are allowed to take hold it will be us, our colleagues and students who will be on the receiving end. As a union we should be doing all we can to build opposition to any Trump visit, to embolden Americans who oppose Trump and what he represents, and to send a clear message to racists in the UK who think he offers them a green light to push hate in our communities.
Our position on anti-racism matters hugely. I have been so proud of my union this morning, hearing from so many delegates who put their energy into combating prejudice, inequality and racism. I teach in a school that welcomes a hugely diverse student body. We have lots of migrants of all kinds, including many refugees and asylum seekers. It is a very welcoming school and I love that I am lucky enough to work there. (We aren’t an academy by the way, I mention this in passing). Recently, Islamophobia came up in a lesson. A Muslim student who has been granted asylum in the UK didn’t recognise Islamophobia. She felt that the UK was a place where people from all religions and cultures were respected.
Conference, it is our actions, our ceaseless opposition to racism wherever it rears its head, that has helped to create this atmosphere. meant that this student felt comfortable in her adopted home. I am not saying that the battle is won, and other students in the class had less rosy views of life in the UK – and we have heard from delegates today about the real racism and discrimination that many still experience; but anti-racist campaigns in the UK, of which this union is and has been an integral part, have achieved a lot to make this country a more diverse and inclusive place to live. So it is vitally important that we carry this legacy into the new union. Conference, please support this amendment.
President, Conference.
This is not my first conference but it is my first time speaking. To be honest, standing up here always looked pretty scary, but this issue is close to my heart so I took the plunge. Some in my delegation have had to listen to my irritation with some of the great and good who have apparently suddenly discovered anti racism over the last few days, and chosen to direct their ire not against the organised racists of the far right but against a man who has spent his life fighting against all forms of discrimination.
Last year, following Trump’s visible cosying up to racists, nasty little fascist group Britain First tried another one of its tours of Midlands towns and cities. That means a group of racist thugs turning up in our town centre, trying to provoke local people, goading people, shoving their phones into people’s faces and trying to stir up racial and religious hatred. Derby is a diverse and multicultural city that welcomes people from all over the world, and Trump’s words and deeds are felt here, creating both anger at outrages like the Muslim ban and his comments about ‘sh*thole countries’, but also anger at and fear of the kind of people who will take heart from his words.
We know that if these ideas are allowed to take hold it will be us, our colleagues and students who will be on the receiving end. As a union we should be doing all we can to build opposition to any Trump visit, to embolden Americans who oppose Trump and what he represents, and to send a clear message to racists in the UK who think he offers them a green light to push hate in our communities.
Our position on anti-racism matters hugely. I have been so proud of my union this morning, hearing from so many delegates who put their energy into combating prejudice, inequality and racism. I teach in a school that welcomes a hugely diverse student body. We have lots of migrants of all kinds, including many refugees and asylum seekers. It is a very welcoming school and I love that I am lucky enough to work there. (We aren’t an academy by the way, I mention this in passing). Recently, Islamophobia came up in a lesson. A Muslim student who has been granted asylum in the UK didn’t recognise Islamophobia. She felt that the UK was a place where people from all religions and cultures were respected.
Conference, it is our actions, our ceaseless opposition to racism wherever it rears its head, that has helped to create this atmosphere. meant that this student felt comfortable in her adopted home. I am not saying that the battle is won, and other students in the class had less rosy views of life in the UK – and we have heard from delegates today about the real racism and discrimination that many still experience; but anti-racist campaigns in the UK, of which this union is and has been an integral part, have achieved a lot to make this country a more diverse and inclusive place to live. So it is vitally important that we carry this legacy into the new union. Conference, please support this amendment.
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