LED BY DONKEYS PROJECT VIDEO ONTO THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR WINDRUSH AHEAD OF WINDRUSH EVENT AT THE MARYLEBONE THEATRE ON MONDAY

LED BY DONKEYS PROJECT VIDEO ONTO THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR WINDRUSH

TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN 4 WINDRUSH EVENT AT THE MARYLEBONE THEATRE ON JUNE 24TH IS NOW ALMOST SOLD-OUT FEATURING DANNY SAPANI, JAKE ISAAC,TOBIAS JOWETT AND A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM ANNIE LENNOX

IN SUPPORT OF THE #JUSTICE4WINDRUSH CAMPAIGN – https://justice4windrush.org/

The #Justice4Windrush campaign is calling for swift and full government compensation for the Windrush generation, and has already earned the support of an array of influential names including Craig David, AJ Tracey, Eddie Marsan, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Karen Gibson MBE, Jay Blades, Hannah Waddingham, Adrian Lester and Don Letts.

Now the campaign continues to gain momentum with two big moments: last night a video was projected by Led By Donkeysonto The White Cliffs of Dover with a message from RAF Squadron Leader Sydney McFarlane to Sunak and Starmer (Watch HERE), this is followed by the Taste of The Caribbean 4 Windrush event on Monday 24^th June.

Sidney McFarlane BH (M) MBE MBPsS BA (Hons) was one of the thousands of people from the Caribbean who responded to the UK’s call for assistance following the losses of World War II. Having left Jamaica, his new life was one of immense challenges with many jobs and accommodation blocked from people of colour. Nonetheless, he eventually overcame such hurdles to embark upon an illustrious and highly-decorated 30-year career in the RAF which resulted in him being honoured with an MBE in 1999. His son, Colin, became a successful actor with roles including ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Batman Begins’, and is the co-founder of #Justice4Windrush along with singing icon Annie Lennox

While Sidney McFarlane’s story is particularly inspiring, his experiences reflect those of so many of the Windrush generation. While their lives followed many different paths, they’re all united by their struggle: that of building a new life thousands of miles away from home in an environment that was often immensely hostile.

The choice of Dover as a location is also significant. As the HMT Empire Windrush neared the end of its long voyage, the White Cliffs represented the moment that its hundreds of passengers first saw their new home nation.

The next moment of the #Justice4Windrush campaign comes with The Taste of the Caribbean 4 Windrush event at London’s Marylebone Theatre on Monday, June 24th. A night of commemoration, education, conversation and celebration begins with rum cocktails and Caribbean canapés at 6pm. Entertainment starts at 7pm with the show split into two parts.

The first half features actor Danny Sapani (‘Killing Eve’, ‘Penny Dreadful’) doing a reading of the ‘Helpline’ play based on a current Windrush victim’s story. The second half then focuses on a live performance from Britain’s acclaimed soul star Jake Isaac, whose recent single ‘GOOD MAN’ explored the family constructs, community and resilience that has defined the Windrush generation. The night will also feature a special video message from Annie Lennox, who shares her thoughts on why #Justice4Windrush is such an important issue.

#Justice4Windrush recently issued an open letter to both the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP and to Sir Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, which highlights how the Home Office continues to inflict suffering on Windrush families by failing to give them the compensation they are entitled to. London Mayor Sadiq Khan subsequently wrote to the PM and told him to support the #Justice4Windrush campaign.

With more than 50 Windrush victims having died while waiting for compensation, news in June 2023 of the disbandment of the Home Office Windrush Transformation Team has been a source of further dismay.

The open letter draws particular attention to the following injustices:

When the Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched in April 2019, the Home Office estimated that around 15,000 people would be eligible for compensation.
As of January 2024, only 13.8% of those eligible had received any compensation.
As of April 2023, 1 in 6 applicants (16%) have been waiting for over a year for a result, with around half of these (7.5%) waiting for more than 18 months.
The Home Office has refused to give applicants legal aid – making the path to justice even more difficult.
Just £73.58 million of an allocated £200-500 million has been awarded to victims.

To rectify this, the #Justice4Windrush campaign calls for the government to:

Make full and swift compensation for Windrush victims a Home Office priority. Reinstating the Transformation Team and Windrush Working Group is crucial.
To ensure its credibility with claimants, remove the Windrush Compensation Scheme from the Home Office and identify or create an independent and neutral body or organisation to operate it and make appeal decisions.
Direct the Home Office to ensure more transparent, independent oversight over its administration of the scheme, including quarterly, detailed public reports on the scheme’s operation by the independent assessor.
Ensure that legal aid is guaranteed to all eligible claimants.
Lower the burden of proof for claims and compensate fully for losses and impact on life, regardless of the complexity.
Stop deportations. Trust is gone. So many have been deported in error. Already traumatised victims need to feel safe to come forward.
End the decades long history of covert racist immigration laws and bring an end to the Hostile Environment immigration policy
Pledge full compensation to Windrush victims as part of its forthcoming general election manifesto.