UK PM Rishi Sunak says he faced racism in the past; says ‘must confront it’

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, commenting on the latest race row at Buckingham Palace said that he too was a victim of racism in the past. He said that it is important to confront it whenever one encounters it. 

“I have experienced racism in the past. But what I am pleased to say is that some of the things that I experienced while I was a kid I don’t think would happen today because our country has made incredible progress in tackling racism,” he told reporters on Thursday. Sunak, while not directly commenting on the incident, made the statements in the wake of allegations of racism in the royal family. 

He acknowledged that there’s more work to be done. “But the job is never done and that’s why whenever we see racism we must confront it. It’s right that we continually learn the lessons and move to a better future,” said Rishi Sunak. 

Lady Susan Hussey, godmother to Prince William, who served as the lady-in-waiting for the late Queen Elizabeth II for 60 years, has been accused of racism by Ngozi Fulani, a British activist, and chief executive of domestic abuse charity, Sistah Space. 

Fulani wrote on Twitter that Lady Susan Hussey, at an event hosted by King Charles’ wife Camilla, repeatedly asked her what part of Africa she was from. Fulani did not name Lady Susan Hussey but said that she was traumatised by the relentless questions of ‘Lady SH’. “I am born here and am British,” she eventually told her. 

She asked questions like “What part of Africa are you from?”, “What nationality are you?”, “Where do you really come from?”, “Where do your people come from?”, and “When did you first come here?”

After Fulani said her parents came to Britain in 1950s, Lady Hussey reportedly said, “Oh, I knew we’d get there in the end. You’re Caribbean.” Fulani is of African heritage, and Caribbean descent. 

After the scandal made headlines, Lady Hussey resigned from her role and apologised for the incident. Buckingham Palace said her statements were "unacceptable and deeply regrettable."

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