JUNE, 2022 • ISSUE NO. 1931
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WINDRUSH
Bumper Issue
Celebrating our pioneers p23-50
72 pages
IN PRAISE OF BLACK MEN
Role models and fathers make us all proud
O
UR SPECIAL edition highlights black men who are inspiring children and changing the world. We look at how our brothers are redefining what it means to be a black man in today’s Britain. Read more › pages 4,5,6,63
BROTHERHOOD: (left to right) Idris Elba, Marcus Rashford, actor Paapa Essiedu and new Dr Who Ncuti Gatwa
22 | THE VOICE JUNE 2022
News feature
Scotland the brave hits back
Commonwealth Secretary-General — who was UK’s first black Attorney General, says she will fight on as Britain backs challenger to her job. By Lester Holloway
T
HE HEAD of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Baroness Patricia Scotland, has hit back at critics ahead of a challenge to her leadership. Baroness Scotland, who made history as Britain’s first black Attorney General from 2007 to 2010, is facing a bid to oust her as Secretary General, with opposition led by Boris Johnson. Last month the British PM, inset, formally backed Jamaica’s senator Kamina Johnson Smith for the top job following a string of negative stories about Baroness Scotland in the media, which supporters of the incumbent dismissed as lies and trivia blown out of all proportion.
A clearly frustrated Baroness Scotland, who was Britain’s first black woman QC barrister, told The Voice she remained focused on delivering for the 2.5 billion people in Commonwealth countries, and was proud of her record. Right-wing blog Guido Fawkes, a strong supporter of the British PM, focussed on the Commonwealth Secretariat losing an employment tribunal case, which Guido said made Baroness Scotland a “law-breaker”, spending £63,000 on two policy advisors which the blog said was “staggering” and “excessive”, and the cost of refurbishment of her official grace-and-favour Commonwealth flat even
though the blog did not have any figures for money spent. Baroness Scotland told The Voice: “I can’t control what people say; I only know what the truth is, and the truth is every allegation that has been made is a lie. If they want to spread disinformation that’s up to them, but I’m not going to let it adversely affect my commitment to the Commonwealth, which I am totally dedicated to. “We haven’t got time for this nonsense; they should have better things to do. These people spreading tales, just come and help me with climate change, trade, domestic violence, to reduce suffering and deliver more peace. If you can’t, just get out of my way.” Last month the British PM Johnson tweeted: “Delighted to confirm the UK will support Johnson Smith’s campaign to be the next Secretary General. She has the vast experience and support to unite our
BATTLE FOR POWER: Baroness Patricia Scotland is facing a bid to oust her as Secretary General of the Commonwealth, with Kamina Johnson Smith, inset, one of the favourites to succeed her unique family of nations and seize the opportunities ahead.” The Commonwealth leadership will be decided at a heads of government meeting in Rwanda in June, where 54 prime ministers and presidents will pick between Baroness Scotland and Johnson Smith,
who has been getting rave reviews for her campaign. Last month the Jamaican senator told The Voice she was not getting involved in the squabbling but outlined her vision for a Commonwealth which levered more finance for development to alleviate the
impact of climate change. Baroness Scotland is also proud of her record on climate change, setting up a Climate Finance Access Hub, a Blue Charter to clean up the oceans, and an Innovation Hub to pool the sharing of technology across the Commonwealth states.
‘Heartbreak’ as African and Caribbean graduates left out of new UK work visa A NEW visa giving international graduates the opportunity to work in the UK before receiving a job offer has come under fire from academics for failing to include students from universities in Africa and the Caribbean. The High Potential Individual Scheme was rolled out by the Home Office for people who have graduated from higher education (HE) institutions in the past five years from what is dubbed as some of the world’s most elite universities. Undergraduate and PhD holders will now be able to start a new life in the UK
for up to three years without being required to have a job in the pipeline for them. The universities listed from global league tables include Harvard University and Princeton University in the US and Kyoto University in Japan as well as other HE institutions in Switzerland and Australia.
PROCESSES
Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, a lecturer at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria, said the move by the Home Office was “heartbreaking” as black graduates stand
to be disproportionately affected by the decision. She said: “As someone from Nigeria who did their PhD in Britain, it’s heartbreaking to see that there are still processes being put in place that inadvertently exclude Africans. “Does this visa mean that there are no individual graduates from African universities with high potential?” It comes after the University of the West Indies (UWI) was ranked within the top 1.5 per cent universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education ranking system.
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SNUB: The High Potential Individual Scheme excludes students from Africa and the Caribbean (photo: Getty Images)
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JUNE 22, 2022
74 years of courage and resilience... finally a monument in their honour
Arrivals at Waterloo (Photo Getty Images, 15th October 1961) Thousands of Caribbean people arrived at Waterloo Station, destined for cities across the UK. We pay tribute to these pioneers and their descendants. Supported by:
UK