Oliver Letwin memo borders on criminality, says Darcus Howe
Oliver Letwin said in a statement that parts of the memo were ‘badly worded and wrong’ [Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images].
“If a black man had said something quite like that he’d have been called into Scotland Yard and and he might be charged with incitement to riot. It is bordering on criminality,” said Howe, who was a prominent figure in black rights campaigns in the period the document was written.
In a statement, Letwin said: “Following reports tonight, I want to make clear that some parts of a private memo I wrote nearly 30 years ago were both badly worded and wrong. I apologise unreservedly for any offence these comments have caused and wish to make clear that none was intended.”
Howe, who went on to become a writer and broadcaster, said he didn’t think David Cameron would remove Letwin from his post, saying he had “no trust in Mr Cameron on the issue of race at all”.
The former editor of the political magazine Race Today said the incident would provide an opportunity for the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to stand up alongside the black community. “There are people in the Labour party who don’t want to be seen backing black people because they may lose white votes. Not Corbyn,” said Howe.
“I was saying about two days ago to a friend that Corbyn is going to get a chance to stand up with blacks and he will. And this is his opportunity. So that the black community knows that this is not the Labour party of Blair and the two Miliband boys.”
Source: Oliver Letwin memo borders on criminality, says Darcus Howe | Politics | The Guardian
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Letwin is a totally irresponsible and nasty hypocrite. He is the character who threw private and confidential correspondence from his constituents into a public park litter bin. That Cameron employs him as an advisor says a great deal about Cameron as well.
Expecting Mr Plod to get involved is not going to happen. Too many other skeleton in cupboard retrospective inquiries to deal with. Savile, Rochdale, alleged Westminster Paedophile ring to name but three. All against police budgets being squeezed.
at the end of the day when all is said and done the public get what they deserve. they go in to a polling booth not understanding who they are voting for and the end result is as seen and deserved
an elitist government thats about it and it is a worldwide problem not just the uk
better to stay at home if all what is on offer is rubbish as for voting for someone rubbish it’s a dead cert on what you will get and thats rubbish
But the report from the polling companies suggests that the reason we got rubbish in May last year is that people did stay at home!
i’m not surprise they stayed at home mike it’s very difficult to be motivated when the choice of prime minister is very limited to a mindset of people with the same outlook
hopefully corbyn is different and if he stays the course then i would expect a large turnout as hie views are so very different to those of the past 30 years