I was born in this country. My parents came to this country in the 1960s. Yes they stepped off the plane greeted by cold weather, cold stares and a cold reception – no blacks, no Irish and no dogs. They took it in their stride found work – low paid jobs, shabby housing and discrimination at every turn. It was dreadful but the colonialists did a splendid job of brainwashing it’s citizens into believing they must put up and shut up. A generation later and their children have endured the humiliation of being rounded up by immigration, they’ve lost their jobs, they’ve lost their driving license and the final insult they’ve lost access to benefits and healthcare which they have spent their lives paying into. This betrayal reminds me of when my parents were forced to fill in forms to become British citizens, I thought why would they need them they were invited to this country but it seems they had experienced enough let downs from the Motherland.

They found the documentation paid their money and they were granted British citizenship which already belonged to them. Therefore you can imagine their horror to see that 50 years later the reality of those phrases of ‘go back home’ heard in playgrounds on the streets and in the workplace everyday in the 60s and 70s. The betrayal of that legal, loyal, hardworking generation played out by social media and the press. Individual stories of victims of a brutal system that overnight caused people to lose their jobs; lose their house; lose access to benefits and the NHS (which many worked in their whole lives).

I applaud the courage of David Lammy and Diane Abbott firstly, for not abstaining when this inhumane immigration bill came to parliament. Secondly for being the voice of the original settlers many of whom have passed away. Thirdly for calling those responsible to account for those failures.