- Tuesday, April 23, 2024
LET'S be clear, Sangita Myska is a star journalist and broadcaster. Like me, but a while later, she was a BBC trainee. Unlike me, she successfully navigated the corporation’s shark-infested waters, becoming an immensely popular correspondent. During my 24-year BBC career, I had the privilege of often sitting in the…
An “incompetent” UK Passport Office is letting down Britons stranded in Cyprus, a south Asian father of a new born surrogate baby has told Eastern Eye. Raj Gill, 49, from Essex, has told his MP he is being “held hostage” in Cyprus because the government has spent weeks sitting on a…
BRITAIN is as racist as it was in the 1970s, and some politicians of colour are making matters worse, anti-racism campaigners have told Eastern Eye. Their comments follow a landmark series on Channel 4, Defiance, which tells the story of how south Asian and black people fought right-wing extremists in…
THE government’s decision to impose visa restrictions on international students to cut immigration figures is “anti-universities” and “economic illiteracy”, according to a peer and university chancellor. From January, the Home Office stopped postgraduate students from bringing their families with them when studying in the UK. When he announced the restriction,…
CANCER screening services must be more culturally competent and sensitive to the needs of south Asians - especially women, a leading doctor has told Eastern Eye. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the first person of colour to lead the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association (BMA), said south Asian women were less…
VICTIMS of racism are being attacked for speaking out and highlighting the problem, former chief crown prosecutor, Nazir Afzal, has told Eastern Eye. His comments come as the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has asked Afzal to head a panel to investigate its internal culture. The 61-year-old is no stranger…
LABOUR is “haemorrhaging” the Muslim vote, which will have a negative impact when Britain holds the general election, expected later this year, party MPs have told Eastern Eye. Late on Monday (12), Labour withdrew its support and suspended for its candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali, following criticism of remarks he…
LONDON’S MAYOR, Sadiq Khan, has warned of dirty tricks to spread lies and misinformation about him during May’s mayoral race. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Khan said that those who do not like him will use deep fake artificial intelligence to try to discredit him. Last year (November),…
SEEMA MISRA, who was pregnant when she was maliciously and wrongly jailed for stealing from the Post Office, has told Eastern Eye that more than a decade later she still gets flashbacks about her time in prison and being tagged. The former Surrey sub-postmistress revealed that she was prepared to…
ASIAN sub postmasters have described the devastating impact of the Post Office Horizon scandal as they revealed the consequences of the injustice on their families as well as their health and finances. In interviews with Eastern Eye, some post masters recalled the fallout of discriminatory and racist behaviour by Post…
MPs and immigration experts have criticised ministers for “deliberately targeting” British Asian families in their quest to get immigration figures down. Home secretary, James Cleverly, announced last week (13) that from April 2024, the minimum salary threshold for UK nationals and permanent residents applying to bring family members to join…
A LEADING Conservative parliamentarian has warned fellow Tory politicians they face a decision to either “unify or die” as party infighting threatens to derail the leadership of prime minister, Rishi Sunak. On Tuesday (12) Sunak narrowly won in his latest plans to send migrants to Rwanda. The way in which…
THE government continues to fail south Asian women, girls and boys who are suffering domestic abuse, and it has not learnt lessons from the pandemic, campaigners have told Eastern Eye. They said they remain concerned that should there be another pandemic, south Asians and minority groups would be in unnecessary…
The prime minister has shown that “he has a backbone” by sacking his controversial home secretary, south Asian Conservative parliamentarians and grassroots members have told Eastern Eye. Rishi Sunak fired Suella Braverman on Monday (13), five days after she wrote a Times newspaper article in which she criticised the Met…
TO HER party, Suella Braverman was able to say things which the prime minister thought but could not voice. To his critics, Rishi Sunak was the man who stabbed Boris Johnson in the back and someone whose party did not elect him as its leader. Braverman gave him a shield…
NOTHING has been done to protect south Asian and black medical staff or patients, despite their disproportionate number of deaths during Covid, doctors have told Eastern Eye. They have warned that if a pandemic were to happen tomorrow, more people of colour would die unnecessarily. Medical experts have previously told…
DIWALI – the story of good triumphing over evil – shows how multiculturalism is not failing but instead enhancing community relations in today’s Britain, prominent politicians and business leaders have told Eastern Eye. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, added their voices to the…
MINISTERS and the media are contributing to hate crime against British Muslims, according to politicians and community leaders. Last week (5) saw a nine per cent year-on-year increase in reported religious hate crime figures. Politicians, religious leaders and campaigning groups are urging them to stop demonising Muslims. Of the almost…
THE body which appoints judges and one of its senior leaders lied to avoid giving information to the public, a tribunal has heard. Judge Abbas Mithani KC is taking legal action against the Judicial Appointments Commission [JAC] and Information Commissioner’s Office [ICO] because they did not give him full disclosure…
THE union which represents judges has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the way the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) uses taxpayers’ money to fight legal cases. For three months, Eastern Eye has used freedom of information requests to investigate court action against the JAC from unsuccessful candidates. South Asian judges…
RACISM has no place in the National Health Service, the health secretary has told Eastern Eye. His comments come after doctors’ leaders made clear that medics of colour were more likely to face complaints and disciplinary hearings than their white colleagues. Two years ago (August 2021) this newspaper revealed that…
DOZENS of Indian students, who accused a British university of racism, have thanked Eastern Eye for helping them win a second chance to pass their degree. They contacted this newspaper after more than 80 of their number failed the same assessment as part of their master’s in engineering at De…
A former cricketer has criticised the prime minister’s decision not to intervene on Lord Botham’s comments about racism in the sport. The peer told a podcast that he thought the England and Wales Cricket Board’s inquiry into racism, misogyny and elitism was a “waste of money”. Eastern Eye reported earlier…
RISHI SUNAK has said his upcoming visit to India for a G20 summit early next month will be “special” as Britain’s first Asian prime minister returns to the homeland of his grandparents. Sunak is scheduled to travel to New Delhi in September – his first as prime minister since taking…
IN FEBRUARY 1999, Sir William Macpherson released a devastating report into the racist murder of the black teenager, Stephen Lawrence. The term ‘institutional racism’ started to prick the conscience of our wonderfully tolerant country. I say this without any hint of sarcasm or irony because I can’t imagine living in…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has failed to step up and investigate why Lord Ian Botham trashed an independent report which found cricket to be racist and misogynist, according to those close to the sport. Eastern Eye has spoken to several prominent cricket sources who have accused the…
“IT ALL started with an invite to go and watch the Middlesex over 50s cricket team,” said the former England, Middlesex and Surrey cricketer, Mark Ramprakash. He spoke to Eastern Eye over Zoom and is looking fit and relaxed and unbelievably younger than his 53 years. “I went along and…
THE body which regulates universities will investigate the handling of complaints by more than 80 Indian students that they were victims of racism and discrimination, Eastern Eye can reveal. Eastern Eye reported last week that the learners all failed one module, and that the students were unhappy with the way…
WHEN Rishi Sunak became prime minister, TV and radio programmes asked for my thoughts. In almost every interview, I said this was our Barak Obama moment, but Sunak would be seen through a different lens from any of his prime ministerial predecessors. He was the first person of colour in…
EARLIER this year, George called me. “Barnie, I need a favour,” he began, “I’m involved with a migration charity, and we’re telling the story of how migrants have helped Britain. “We want an exhibition in Leicester, use my name, I’ll turn up and do what I need to do, can…
Eastern Eye can reveal that the Indian High Commission has written to a UK university urging it to investigate claims of racism and discrimination made by students from its country. It follows complaints from more than 80 learners from India at Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU). The High Commission sent…
A former MP has called on a British university to investigate claims of racism made by 75 south Asian students. Eastern Eye has seen a letter to the vice-chancellor of Leicester’s De Montfort University which makes serious allegations of discrimination and racism against the Indian learners. The communiqué is from…
ACTING must put more people of colour in creative boardrooms to stop unconscious bias, colonialism and complacency which exist in the profession. That is the call from one of the industry’s biggest south Asian stars. Meera Syal told the Raminklal Pioneers Project, a partnership of the Asian Media Group [the…
THE Church of England stands accused of failing survivors of child abuse and punishing whistle blowers who give them a voice, a former independent advocate has told Eastern Eye. The church sacked Jasvinder Sanghera, who founded Karma Nirvana, a charity for mainly south Asian survivors of domestic abuse, forced marriage…
CRICKET owes Azeem Rafiq and Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford an apology for the way they were treated in exposing and trying to overcome racism in cricket, the chair of an independent inquiry has told Eastern Eye. After a two-and-a-half-year review of the sport, the Independent Commission for Equity in…
SERVING and retired judges have told Eastern Eye that the selection process by which they are appointed is “racist and corrupt to the core”. It comes after an Asian solicitor won the unprecedented legal right to see how the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) chooses successful candidates. Ashok Ghosh claims that…
Britain must “up its game” when it comes to trading with India, the co-founder and chair of Cobra Beer, Lord Karan Bilimoria has told Eastern Eye. The peer has written to Rishi Sunak, urging him to lead the first cross-party UK prime ministerial delegation to Delhi, Mumbai and other major…
LABOUR is "institutionally, structurally and systematically racist” and taking south Asian voters for granted, councillors and party members have told Eastern Eye. They are urging the Labour leadership at national level to investigate why Hindus and Muslims have been barred from standing in next week’s [4 May] local elections. Labour’s…
JUDGES are sharing so-called “live questions” used in recruitment exercises with consultants offering to coach candidates to get top judicial appointments, a tribunal has heard from a senior south Asian judge. On the second day of the online hearing, Judge Abbas Mithani KC, suggested the current process could be open…
SINCE July 2020, Eastern Eye has proudly gone to battle for south Asian and black judges. Over the course of more than a dozen articles, we have exposed institutional, systemic and structural racism, bullying and misogyny. Other mainstream newspapers have followed in our footsteps. Unlike some nationals, we don’t think…
THE body which appoints judges is “avoiding public scrutiny” and one of its heads is “guilty of gross negligence and deliberate recklessness”, a senior south Asian judge has told a tribunal. Abbas Mithani KC, a designated civil judge for the West Midlands and Warwickshire, is asking the General Regulatory Chamber…
THE home secretary is pandering to right-wing racists and putting south Asian lives in danger, MPs and experts have told Eastern Eye. It follows Suella Braverman’s comments over the weekend (2) that “vulnerable white girls living in troubled circumstances have been abused, drugged, raped, and exploited”. She highlighted cases in…
THE current crop of Britain’s chief constables cannot be trusted to reverse institutional racism in their forces, according to the country’s former top south Asian cop, and the National Black Police Association [NBPA]. Ex-assistant commissioner, Neil Basu, made his comments during a wide-ranging interview for the Ramniklal Solanki Pioneers Project…
A “small and privileged” unnamed racist group has cost Yorkshire County Cricket Club millions of pounds in sponsorship and legal fees, and it is one of the reasons why Lord Patel of Bradford is walking away from the game he loves. In an exclusive interview, Patel told Eastern Eye that…
A RETIRED judge has asked the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, to investigate TV celebrity, Jeremy Clarkson, for hate crime. It follows the former BBC Top Gear presenter’s column in The Sun in which he said he hated the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Clarkson wrote, “At night, I'm…
THE bosses of 20 mental health organisation have written an open letter to the prime minister to step in and stop suicides which are being caused by the cost-of-living crisis. The message, seen by Eastern Eye, warns Rishi Sunak that “people living in the most deprived 10 per cent of…
THE BBC should be ashamed that it has radio and television stations where newsrooms are entirely white and not representing the communities they serve. That is the feeling of current staff and former employees who have spoken to Eastern Eye. They said they warned the BBC that it would not…
A new Asian author, and her first work of fiction of roller-coaster emotions I don’t like fictional books which use a first-person singular voice. You know, that’s when someone writes a work of fiction through the eyes of one person. “I did this…I did that…For me, it was…” Yuck. Where’s…
Civic leaders, MPs, experts and senior doctors have warned that the UK is sitting on a “ticking time bomb of disparities” among south Asian and black communities. They told Eastern Eye that the 2021 census figures, released on Tuesday (29 November) should raise concerns among government. They urged ministers to…
The government must embrace immigrants who take risks setting up businesses, create jobs, and contribute billions of pounds to Britain’s economy. That is the call from MPs and business leaders who have spoken to Eastern Eye. They have told this newspaper that the home secretary, Suella Braverman, should be ashamed…
LABOUR does not take the British south Asian vote for granted, party leader Sir Keir Starmer told Eastern Eye. He also revealed his determination to work as “grown up” partners with the communities and his ambition to be the next prime minister. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview prior to…
I’m a patriot, I’m proud to be British, but I’m also realistic, writes Barnie Choudhury. It pains me to have to justify myself. Yet I feel I must. Why? Because I am a brown man, who was not born in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. I am an immigrant,…
Rishi Sunak is already a marmite prime minister, writes Barnie Choudhury. Feted by his MP colleagues but rejected by the Conservative grass roots just six weeks ago (September 5). They accuse Sunak of causing Johnson’s downfall, rather than accept that it was the fault of his once next-door Downing Street…
In a momentous day, Britain’s first south Asian prime minister, who became the Conservative Party leader on Diwali day [24], has vowed to unite the country and his riven party. Speaking on the steps of Number 10, Rishi Sunak, a practising Hindu, told the country that he would be a…
Leicestershire’s chief constable has promised to punish anyone who threatens to spoil Diwali celebrations in his city. In a wide ranging exclusive Eastern Eye interview, Rob Nixon warned troublemakers to stay away from Leicester or feel the full force of the law. “If people from outside of Leicester are trying…
Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has wished all Eastern Eye readers a happy Diwali. In a specially arranged visit to the newspaper’s offices, Sir Kier met the Solanki family which owns and runs the biggest portfolio of south Asian publications in the UK, and some of the newspaper’s journalists. It…
Prime minister, Liz Truss, and chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have “risked” the Conservative Party’s election chances because of their “incompetent handling” of the mini budget, Asian parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye. In a so-called mini budget on September 23, Kwarteng abolished the 45p higher tax rate. However, on Monday (3) the…
MPs, peers, religious and civic leaders are urging Hindus and Muslims to stand together after disturbances and protests in Leicester and the West Midlands. They are also calling on the police to communicate and better engage with south Asian communities to stop religious tensions from rising. Last week [20], hundreds…
Outsiders are coming to Leicester to cause tensions among the city’s south Asian communities, sources have told Eastern Eye. In the past three weeks, police arrested 47 people following violence in the city. Last weekend (16-17), they arrested 18 suspects, and some of those were from outside the city, sources…
SENIOR SOUTH ASIAN and Black leaders have urged King Charles to make sure their communities continue to have a strong influence on Britain’s future. While he was a prince, the new monarch was outspoken on issues which concerned him. They included highlighting the dangers of climate change, the benefits of…
SENIOR TORIES have urged the new prime minister, Liz Truss, to continue “engaging, consulting, and listening to” south Asian communities. They have told Eastern Eye that they are concerned the new PM will undo the progress made by her predecessors. “The problem with Liz is that she doesn’t listen,” said…
A minority of racists among Conservative grassroots members could stop Rishi Sunak from becoming the first non-white prime minister. That is the concern among some south Asian Tories who have spoken to Eastern Eye. They are concerned that Britain is “not ready to take orders from a brown boy”. They…
The former president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Lord Karan Bilimoria, is urging Rishi Sunak to cut taxes now, and not, as he has declared, in seven years. He has told Eastern Eye that reducing rates will not necessarily mean that inflation will rise. Speaking in a personal…
A SENIOR Conservative peer, who has given more than a million pounds to the Tories, has accused its treasurer of “disgracing” his office. In a letter to Malik Karim, seen by Eastern Eye, Lord Rami Ranger said that the party’s first south Asian treasurer had been “rude” towards him and…
Senior Conservative parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye the country is ready for its first south Asian prime minister. They believe the days of the Tories being considered as the “nasty and racist” party are over. Four candidates of colour were among the eight nominated in the leadership race as Eastern…
The chancellor must do more to help families and business. The call comes from Lord Karan Bilimoria, who is stepping down as the president of the Confederation of British Industry after two years at the helm. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, the peer said the cost of living…
SOUTH ASIAN mental health experts and survivors are urging the government to provide care specifically to meet their needs. They warned that the Covid pandemic has highlighted the lack of “culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive” services, and people are “suffering in silence”. As part of its 10-year mental health strategy,…
Commonwealth leaders have told Eastern Eye that the UK government is “hell bent on destroying the Commonwealth in pursuit of a colonial agenda”. This newspaper has previously reported on the campaign by Boris Johnson’s administration to oust the current boss of the organisation’s administrative arm, Patricia Scotland. But now her…
His cancer came without notice, and for three months Keyur Patel – known as Kiwi – was planning his own funeral. Now, 10 years on, Kiwi is “grateful” that he can tell his story and live the life he thought would end prematurely. The Met police sergeant remembers vividly the…
British-Asian political and business leaders have paid tribute to “their inspirational Queen” for her “selfless service” ahead of her platinum jubilee. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, told Eastern Eye that he remembered being a child celebrating her majesty’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, and he was “so excited to get a…
IN JULY 2020, the Metropolitan Police stopped and searched the car of two athletes, Bianca Williams, and her partner, Ricardo dos Santos. The shocking bodycam and mobile phone footage went viral. It was shown by the TV news channels, and shared on social media. The incident brought shame, once again,…
SOUTH ASIAN men and women owe it to their families to get tested for cancer. That is the stark message from Britain’s top south Asian newsreader, George Alagiah. The BBC journalist, who was born in Sri Lanka, has lived with bowel cancer for nine years, and he told Eastern Eye…
Racist, divisive politics which pit Hindus against Muslims and Indians against Pakistanis must stop, say MPs and the mayor of London. The issue is something Eastern Eye has reported several times. But it has reared its head once again after last week’s local elections (5 May). Sources have told this…
This is a story the judiciary tried to dismiss. It is one which those in power hoped they would pressure Eastern Eye into not publishing. But after a four-month investigation we can reveal that South Asian and white judges have demanded a detailed investigation into one of their colleagues whom…
When we heard the compelling testimony of former Yorkshire cricketer, Azeem Rafiq, in front of the sport select committee last November, few people of colour would’ve been surprised. We know the racism we face on an almost daily basis. We know the fact our complaints are excused as banter. We…
The BBC’s looking for a new diversity boss because June Sarpong is leaving the corporation. In his third and final essay, one of its former correspondents, Barnie Choudhury, suggests ways to tackle the antipathy, apparent apathy and accelerate a win in the diversity war in the corporation. One of my…
In 1999, a court found a brother and mother guilty of murdering a 19-year-old Muslim woman. While he strangled her, their mother sat on her legs. Her crime was to be carrying the baby of her childhood sweetheart while her husband, by forced marriage, was in Pakistan. The story of…
As the BBC’s diversity chief, June Sarpong, quits the corporation, former correspondent, Barnie Choudhury, asks what the corporation has achieved in almost two generations. A journalist famously asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought about western civilisation. Quick as a flash he responded, “I think it would be a good idea.”…
An experienced south Asian Crown court judge has called on the body which appoints and promotes justices to investigate the culture of bullying and racism which exist in the profession. Judge Kaly Kaul QC’s comments coincide with a so called “independent review” of the recruitment process by the Judicial Appointments…
Getting screened and tested early for cancer is a personal battle, Sajid Javid revealed. Speaking to Eastern Eye, the health secretary, disclosed how his late father was diagnosed too late for the illness. “My father died from cancer, but he died from, firstly, lung cancer, then it spread everywhere,” Javid…
A SURVEY of judges has revealed bullying, harassment and discrimination in the judiciary. The Justice Office has also admitted it is investigating further the “issues relating to” these claims. This about-face comes two years after the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, denied bullying existed when asked by a journalist at…
The best thing about Adeel Akhtar, apart from his charisma, his ability to give life to ‘ordinary people’, his brilliant acting, must be that he thinks about your question, and then he answers it without spin or trying to sell his latest film Ali & Ava. He is, by the…
Much has been written about “Polar Preet” over the past few months. How she became the first woman of colour to trek solo in the Antarctic, reaching the South Pole. How she beat the -50-degree weather, suffering from sickness and diarrhoea, to complete her mission. But until now we do…
Business and doctors’ leaders have criticised the government’s decision to stop free lateral flow tests in April. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced the decision in his “living with Covid” statement to parliament on Monday (21). He told MPs that all Covid restrictions would end in England on Thursday (24)…
On 31 July 2015, former Met police sergeant, Gurpal Virdi, stood on the steps of Southwark Crown Court and breathed in the air. He had just spent the week in the dock charged with a historic case of racially and sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy. The jury took just 50…
There must be a root and branch investigation into the culture of racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia in every police service in England and Wales. That is the demand from south Asian and black MPs, as well as serving and past police officers. They have told Eastern Eye that they do…
Health secretary, Sajid Javid and London mayor, Sadiq Khan, have led tributes to Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away on Sunday (6). The Bollywood legend and playback singer died after a long illness caused by contracting Covid. She was afforded the sobriquet of the “Nightingale of India”, and the popularity of…
Representation of south Asian and black judges “remains unacceptably low”, according to the man who heads the UK’s tribunal courts. Writing on the judiciary’s internal website, the senior president of tribunals, Sir Keith Lindblom said ethnic minorities do less well than white candidates being considered to join the judiciary. In…
FOR anyone who has had to move cities for a new job, you have my heartfelt sympathies. That is exactly the situation I faced this month. Finding a rented place. Moving in. Getting the bills set up. Make sure everything works. The worst part for me is having to buy…
One of the richest south Asian industrialists in the UK has told Eastern Eye that at least 30 companies have approached him for financial investment. They did so after Lord Swraj Paul revealed exclusively to the Asian Rich List, published by this paper’s parent company, Asian Media Group, that at…
The chair of Yorkshire cricket has urged south Asian communities to trust that his team and he will stamp out racism at the club. Lord Patel of Bradford was speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye after the culture, media and sport select committee concluded there was “deep-seated racism in cricket”. The…
Aaqil Ahmed should not have succeeded. Working class. A northerner. Brown. A Muslim. Definitely an outsider. Definitely a maverick. When you look at his 30-year career, which he celebrates this year, you know that sheer hard work, determination and bloody-mindedness – the south Asian way – were just some of…
The president of the organisation which speaks for UK businesses has urged the government to lower taxes immediately to help the country’s “very fragile economy”. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Lord [Karan] Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, said that families and businesses were suffering from a triple whammy of higher…
Dishoom boss's pride at feeding millions of children and NHS staff during pandemic IT IS probable that the hospitality trade will be grateful this Christmas and New Year for the chancellor’s £1 billion fund. According to global consultants Alix-Partners, one in 10 restaurants has been forced to shut permanently during…
Senior Tories urge PM not to “exacerbate and aggravate” pandemic fallout One in 10 health workers could be forced to stop working because of Covid come the New Year, according to the chair of the British Medical Association (BMA). The warning comes as senior Conservatives urged the prime minister to…
Chair of English cricket racism inquiry urges fans to have their say The chair of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) has warned of “a time of reckoning for cricket”. In March, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed Cindy Butts to investigate racism, gender and social…
Revealed: Fewer than one in four has had third vaccination Health experts are urging south Asians to get their booster jab after Eastern Eye revealed that fewer than one in four has taken a third vaccine. Analysis by this newspaper suggests that as of 5 December, only 22.6 per cent…
“Systemic and cultural barriers” stop progress of people of colour finds new report Senior BBC leaders in radio news have warned that the corporation will never hit the director-general’s 20 per cent target for people of colour to climb to the top their profession. Nina Robinson, an experienced former BBC…
A crown court judge’s legal fight against the Ministry of Justice, the lord chancellor, and the lord chief justice has moved a step closer. Judge Kaly Kaul QC claims she was bullied by senior members of the judiciary who failed to support her after she complained about the conduct of…
A senior emergency doctor has warned that NHS staff are dealing with the worst health crisis in 20 years. They are under so much pressure more health workers than ever are quitting front line medicine for other hospital jobs. Dr Joydeep Grover, a consultant who has worked in emergency medicine…
As a new variant hits Britain, infections’ expert warns of surge in pandemic deaths A leading infections’ expert has launched a scathing attack on the prime minister for not doing enough to protect lives after the discovery of a new Covid virus variant. The World Health Organization named the variant…
Praise for Sajid Javid’s inquiry, but more action needed say doctors Doctors’ leaders and hospital chiefs want ministers to widen their investigation into health disparities among south Asian and black communities. The leader of the British Medical Association (BMA) and a senior health authority boss have told Eastern Eye that…
EVERY Sunday, we had a ritual in our family. It was 1969, and like tens of thousands of new arrivals from India, we would sit in front of our black and white televisions to watch Nai Zindagi Naya Jeevan. Translated, it means ‘New Life, New Life’ but we can take…
Diaspora watch ethnic content but UK channels 'do not cater to diverse audiences' entertainment ETHNIC MINORITY viewers in the UK have said watching Asian channels helps them keep in touch with their culture, according to a survey for Ofcom, but the regulator was criticised for not acknowledging that British TV…
Sadiq Khan: Bring back police enforcement on mask wearing More south Asians will catch and die from Covid during the traditional winter health crisis unless the government toughens its stance on vaccinations and mask wearing in public places. That is the warning from the British Medical Association, the London mayor,…
Cricket’s governing body, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), must immediately investigate racism at all levels of the sport. That is the demand from Bradford West MP, Naz Shah. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Shah said that the game was institutionally, structurally and systemically racist, and the problem went…
Don’t get hung up on racism says former PepsiCo CEO, Indra Nooyi Chief executives must challenge bad behaviour which stops women and minorities from progressing, according to the former CEO and chair of global company PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi. Speaking at the GG2 Leadership Series (12) the first Asian woman to…
Figures reveal four in 10 British-Pakistanis still unprotected The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has told Eastern Eye that he is “very concerned” that three in 10 south Asians remained unprotected against Covid. During a meeting of specially invited non-white press and broadcasters, Javid revealed that among British-Pakistanis the take up…
Pioneering journalist, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, has revealed how she almost gave up journalism six months ago after a torrid time of threats and abuse. The columnist with the i-newspaper was speaking to Eastern Eye ahead of her historic conversation with the BBC’s Ritula Shah for next week’s (29) event organised by…
WHEN I saw her lying in the hospital bed, my heart broke. Again. It was the seventh time in her 30 years she had tried to take her life. Once again, I did not know why. Once again, I was woken up by a frantic, drunken, late-night phone call from…
Revealed: 10 south Asians stopped and searched every hour during pandemic Police in England and Wales stopped and searched almost 10 south Asians every hour during lockdown. Eastern Eye has found that during April 2020 and March 2021 they detained almost 86,000 south Asians. This is a rise of more…
Revealed: Top judges being taught how to stop Asian and black lawyers from progressing South Asian lawyers are demanding to know why judges are being taught how turn down candidates applying to join the judiciary. Documents obtained by Eastern Eye reveal that senior high court justices, and others, who are…
“Colonial attitudes” leading to “disciplinary dice loaded against minority medics” The chair of the British Medical Association is demanding an independent investigation into the way south Asian and black doctors are being disciplined. Freedom of information figures obtained by Eastern Eye reveal that over the past 10 years, the General…
Over half south Asians still unprotected The vaccine minister, Nadim Zahawi, is urging south Asians not to waste the chance of getting a Covid vaccination. He also backed family doctors who are demanding patients continue to wear masks in surgeries, even though restrictions were lifted last week (19). In an…
“We’re still appointed by a nod and a wink” say judges. The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is institutionally discriminatory and operates a “cancer of secret soundings”, the Justice Support Network (JSN), a group set up to help judges, has claimed. In a letter to the justice select committee, seen by…
“Don’t let racists spoil the success of England Lions in bringing the country together” Anti-racism pressure groups, think-tanks and MPs are urging everyone associated with professional football to build on the achievements of England during Euro 2020, in cementing better race-relations throughout the country. During the past four weeks the…
A new whistle blowing policy for judges is “virtually ineffective”, “a missed opportunity”, and “unlikely to make effective change” to the existing culture of fear, bullying and racism in the judiciary, angry south Asian judges have told Eastern Eye. They also criticised the appearance before the justice select committee of…
AT LEAST one in three south Asians, aged 18 or over, is still not fully protected from the Covid virus, Eastern Eye can reveal. Despite the government spearheading a “concerted community-led effort” to persuade minority communities to get vaccinated, the latest figures reveal that about 67 per cent of “Asians…
Senior managers ‘side with families’ despite orders to deny treatment for racist behaviour SOUTH ASIAN doctors have told Eastern Eye that they are being stopped from treating some white patients. Some have taken to social media to complain about white parents and white patients who refuse to be treated by them.…
Following an Eastern Eye campaign, we reveal latest on “secret” whistleblowing plan Exclusive A JUDGE who won a seven-year legal battle to allow her reveal experience of bullying and racism in the judiciary has been “invited” to join a committee drawing up a whistle blowing policy. This week (9), Eastern…
Judges accuse lord chief justice of trying to silence them Exclusive A judge who complained about bullying and racism has told Eastern Eye she will quit if the judiciary does not properly consult over a new whistle blowing policy. District Judge Claire Gilham won a seven-year legal battle against the…
Justices told anonymous bullying and racism complaints will not be investigated Exclusive Ethnic minority judges have told Eastern Eye they have no hope of securing justice for themselves against bullying and racism in the UK judiciary. Their comments come after the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, and Sir…
Exclusive The government, police and councils are failing thousands of south Asian children, some just a few months old, who have been sexually abused, an eleven month Eastern Eye investigation has uncovered. Using freedom of information requests, we asked 50 councils and 13 police forces how they collate figures for…
by Barnie Choudhury It is so easy to bash the BBC, so I may as well join in. Last year BBC News refused to acknowledge that Kamala Harris, the American vice-president, was of Indian origin. I emailed senior news executives, and I never got a response. Then there was the…
Honest debate needed to avoid repeat of Oldham race riots 20 years ago by Barnie Choudhury “Virulent racists” are harming the chances of racial harmony in Britain. That is one of the conclusions of Professor Ted Cantle, the man tasked by Tony Blair’s government to investigate the causes of a…
Expert explains how south Asian culture can hinder recovery by Barnie Choudhury One of the country’s leading experts on mental health is urging companies to recognise the important of mental wellbeing in the workplace. Poppy Jaman, chief executive of the City Mental Health Alliance, made the call during the Ramniklal…
“Unedifying” row over despatch box “puts back equality, diversity and inclusion” by Barnie Choudhury Britain top south Asian police officer has told a global audience that institutional racism does exist in Britain – contrary to the government’s latest report on racism. The Met’s assistant commissioner, Neil Basu, was speaking during…
Top south Asian cop warns of growth of online radicalisation during Covid By Barnie Choudhury Britain’s top south Asian police officer has warned that the pandemic could be creating more home-grown terrorists. Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu was speaking at the Ramniklal Solanki Pioneers event, organised by the Asian Media Group and the…
Mayor reveals why he was forced to put up congestion charges in the capital by Barnie Choudhury London mayor, Sadiq Khan, promised to fight to make sure his city recovers from the pandemic, if he were re-elected on Thursday (6). Europe’s first south Asian and Muslim mayor of a capital…
London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said his past year had been filled with “anger, frustration and pride” as he fought to tackle the global pandemic and keep Londoners safe. He was speaking at an “In Conversation” event organised by the Asian Media Group and Eastern Eye. Over one hour the Labour…
By Barnie Choudhury THE UK government must stop “weaponising race” and using it as a political tool to further its political agenda, a panel of experts has told Eastern Eye. The experts, who were taking part in a virtual debate, unanimously concluded that Britain today was more divided about race…
Individual successes do not tell complete story about industry’s “systemic imbalance” by Barnie Choudhury RIZ AHMED, the first Muslim actor to be nominated in a leading role in the 78-year history of the Oscars has told Eastern Eye there is “still a lot of work to do” to create equality…
SADIQ KHAN was elected as the first Asian Mayor of a major European city with the largest personal mandate for any politician in 2016. In the run-up to the mayoral elections next month, he has pledged his support to British Asians in London, claiming his policies “address the needs and…
As tributes pour in for Prince Philip, we reveal his legacy on British Asians By Barnie Choudhury Prince Philip crossed generational divides and helped south Asians to transform Britain, according to politicians, business, global and Commonwealth leaders. They also told Eastern Eye that the duke was wrongly characterised as racist,…
After last year’s exposé, we challenge the judiciary to prove it is not institutionally racist By Barnie Choudhury The judiciary is 20 years behind the Met Police in accepting it is institutionally racist. That is the damning accusation from named and anonymous south Asian, black and white judges. In a…
Revealed: Entrepreneurs say EU bureaucracy a ‘nightmare’ By: Barnie Choudhury SOUTH ASIAN entrepreneurs have revealed how European Union ‘red tape’ is causing a ‘nightmare’ for their businesses. They have told Eastern Eye how projects are being delayed because of uncertainty over what paperwork is needed. “We didn't have clarity on…
Eastern Eye’s editor-at-large and former BBC correspondent, Barnie Choudhury, has a letter for the director-general Dear Tim, What a great start. You’ve come in and made clear to your people that you want the BBC to change. The targets of 50:20:12 are immensely ambitious and, if truth be told, eye…
EASTERN EYE’S editor-at-large and former BBC correspondent, Barnie Choudhury, has a letter for the broadcaster’s director-general Dear Tim, What a great start. You’ve come in and made clear to your people that you want the BBC to change. The targets of 50:20:12 are immensely ambitious and, if truth be…
Revealed: Asian children under 10 ‘arrested’ for sex crimes By Barnie Choudhury & Abhijeet Gaur Police have arrested more than 30,500 south Asians for sex offences in the past decade. Shockingly, during that period they arrested 1,490 children, Eastern Eye can reveal. Two of these were under 10 and cannot…
By Barnie Choudhury THE Asian Media Group (AMG) and the University of Southampton have teamed up to recognise south Asians who have transformed the UK. Named after the founder of AMG, the Ramniklal Solanki Pioneers Project will tell the life stories of 100 people whose work has left an…
The actress reveals her frustrations with TV commissioners Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury The star of Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No 42, Meera Syal, has appealed to television commissioners to stop using an outdated “quota system” which blocks black and Asian (BAME) talent on screen. During the Asian…
“Vaccine hesitancy” because Asian communities do not trust government, says top doctor Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury Politics is interfering “far too much” with caring for sick patients during the pandemic. That is according to the chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul. Speaking during the second Ramniklal Solanki…
THE BBC drama, A Suitable Boy, was the big winner at last week’s Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTA), which celebrate the best of Asian talent in the creative industries. The primetime TV series, based on Vikram Seth’s novel of the same name, won three awards –…
Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury Parliamentarians and religious leaders are urging south Asian families to work with the police to tackle the blight of drugs which they say are “decimating our communities”. Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, a senior imam at the Muslim Council of Britain, told Eastern Eye, there had been a…
Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury A senior police chief has warned south Asian drug gangsters “we will get you”. Eastern Eye can exclusively reveal that 1,710 Asians are currently in jail for drug related crimes – an overrepresentation of three times their number in the nation’s population. In an exclusive interview,…
Exclusive By Barnie Choudhury MPs and experts have called for an overhaul of the Home Office’s strategy to tackle drug-related crime after an Eastern Eye investigation revealed a steep increase in the number of south Asians being arrested for drug offences. After an 11-month investigation, we can disclose that in…
The national treasure tells us how she beat up racists, and why she is optimistic for the future for Asian artists by Barnie Choudhury Meera Syal is ferociously funny, intensely intelligent, and she has an edgier side that shows off her campaigning spirit for equality. Let’s get one thing clear.…
By Barnie Choudhury SENIOR south Asian doctors have accused the government of failing to protect the most vulnerable frontline health workers. Their comments came during an end-of-year virtual roundtable on the government’s handling of the pandemic. Board members of the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union, told Eastern…
Revealed: Anger among vulnerable Asian frontline medics who have not been vaccinated By Barnie Choudhury SENIOR south Asian doctors have accused the government of failing to protect the most vulnerable frontline health workers. Their comments came during an end of year virtual roundtable regarding the government’s handling of the pandemic.…
MPs call for independent inquiry after BAME producer attempts suicide By Barnie Choudhury Asian and black MPs have called for a parliamentary investigation into bullying and racism at the BBC. It comes after Eastern Eye revealed that a black BBC freelance producer tried to take their life after they complained…
Barnie Choudhury A BBC freelance producer tried to end their life last month over "continued bullying" within the broadcaster, Eastern Eye has exclusively learned. The employee then wrote a 1,500-word “open letter” explaining to senior BBC leaders, in excruciating detail, about the suicide attempt. “On Wednesday evening 25th November I attempted to take…
By Barnie Choudhury BAL SAMRA was never a typical BBC ‘suit’, the term that is used for the corporation’s senior managers. He is a people person, willing to help, to volunteer for projects others did not wish to do, and always, unfailingly, crediting his team for success. Until he departs…
By Barnie Choudhury BAL SAMRA was never a typical BBC ‘suit’, the term used for the corporation’s senior managers. He is a people person, always willing to help, always willing to volunteer for projects others did not wish to do, and always, unfailingly, crediting his team for success. Until he…
As the festival of lights is cancelled, businesses say 50 per cent may stay permanently closed By Barnie Choudhury Police are warning south Asians to observe Covid lockdown rules during Diwali or face huge fines. In cities, such as Leicester, upwards of 45,000 traditionally gather to celebrate the festival of…
By Barnie Choudhury SOUTH ASIANS have been “completely forgotten” and not been given enough support by the government during the pandemic, according to the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, imposed the highest tier of restrictions on the area that the former Labour health secretary leads,…
Fears of 650 job losses for Asian and black civil servants in former foreign aid department EXCLUSIVE By Barnie Choudhury THE UK government is “shooting itself in the foot” and is in danger of creating a less stable world. That is the warning from Britain’s former most senior Asian civil…
New figures show over one in five in intensive care with COVID is Asian By Barnie Choudhury Leaders of doctors’ groups have accused the government of “letting down” south Asian communities in its handling of the pandemic. Their criticism comes as new figures show that in the past month, 170…
Asian staff in despair as select committee MPs question Davie by BARNIE CHOUDHURY SOUTH ASIAN staff have told Eastern Eye their boss is in denial about the extent of racism in the BBC. The director general, Tim Davie, appeared before MPs on Tuesday (29) for a marathon session about the…
EXCLUSIVE By Barnie Choudhury A FORMER shadow minister has demanded that the head of the BBC “takes control” of tackling racism in the corporation. Following an Eastern Eye exposé about the experiences of current and former BBC employees earlier this month (September 9), the Labour MP for Brent Central, Dawn…
MPs call for public inquiry amid fresh allegations of bias by ‘scared’ Asian staff by Barnie Choudhury THE BBC’s new director general, Tim Davie, will be questioned by MPs over claims of “insidious, toxic and covert racism” in the corporation after Eastern Eye’s exposé last week prompted further complaints from current and…
By Barnie Choudhury SENIOR South Asian staff, with more than 200 years of combined experience working for the BBC, have accused the corporation of decades of “systemic, structural and institutional racism”. Eastern Eye has spent the past week speaking to about 20 current and former south Asian reporters, correspondents, producers…
By Barnie Choudhury BRITAIN’S only south Asian former permanent secretary, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, has had his stellar reputation damaged and potentially faces career ruin following an investigation when he was president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Eastern Eye has learnt. Although the internal inquiry – carried…
By Barnie Choudhury LEICESTER’S Labour mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has told Eastern Eye that he feels “vindicated” by the government’s U-turn on its test and trace system. Since May 28, people who tested positive for coronavirus were being contacted so authorities could trace those with whom they had met. The…
By Barnie Choudhury SANDEEP KAUR* never wanted to get married. She was happy with her own family and had a wonderful job in Punjab, India. But then Manjit Singh* came on the scene, and promised her family he would take care of her, painting a picture of a blissful married…
By Barnie Choudhury THE government is concerned that south Asian people do not trust its test and trace system, and so will not divulge any information regarding who they have been in contact with, Eastern Eye can reveal. Scientists have also warned that the current system is inadequate to…
By Barnie Choudhury SENIOR Asian and black leaders have condemned a Conservative MP for his “despicable racist views”, accusing him of “dividing communities” after he blamed the rise in Covid-19 infections on “Asians and immigrants”. Craig Whittaker, the MP for Calder Valley told LBC last Friday (31), “What I…
By Barnie Choudhury LEICESTER’S mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has accused the government of playing politics with lives and livelihoods by locking down his city based on ‘inconsistent and sketchy data’. Eastern Eye can reveal that the mayor has sent two letters to ministers asking for permission to spend £13 million…
By Barnie Choudhury THE government’s newly appointed race commission has been widely criticised by Asian and black leaders, who said that it lacks credibility and consists of a “rigged panel whose minds are already made up”. Some senior Tory parliamentarians accused Number 10 of setting up the latest review to…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY HE REMAINS the only south Asian civil servant to have reached the top tier of the government in the UK. Sir Suma Chakrabarti left the government in 2012 as permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The only other post more senior is the head of…
By Barnie Choudhury A CHARITY which deals with honour killings in south Asian communities has warned that more women will die unless the authorities become proactive in noticing the signs of domestic abuse. The warning from Middlesbrough-based Halo Project comes after a ‘domestic homicide review’ of the murder of pharmacist…
By Barnie Choudhury They administer justice and safeguard the law, and yet they are the powerless victims of racism. South Asian judges have this week blown the whistle on “a culture of racism, fear and bullying” in the British judiciary. After a six-week investigation, Eastern Eye can exclusively reveal a…
By Barnie Choudhury SOUTH ASIAN children who have been sexually abused are being let down by police not being thorough in their investigation and having a “poor” grasp of the trauma that victims experience, campaigners said. Eastern Eye can also reveal that a women’s group has this week launched a…
DR SAMARA AFZAL is a GP at the Limes Medical Centre in Stourbridge and the Urgent Care Centre at Russell’s Hall Hospital. She works in an inner-city surgery with a lot of deprived patients, many among them are south Asians. She became a GP three years ago after training in…
By Barnie Choudhury GETTING the trust and confidence of south Asians are vital to winning the battle against diseases which are more widespread in their communities. That is the warning from Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the chair of the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Nagpaul…
By Barnie Choudhury THE data is there. The recommendations are there. What is lacking is the government’s political will to end racism once and for all in the UK. That is the damning accusation of black and Asian leaders from the world of politics and anti-racism activism. In an exclusive…
By Barnie Choudhury ASIAN law enforcers and parliamentarians have warned that Britain will lose yet another generation to structural racism and inequality if the government does not “get a grip”’ and carry out some of the hundreds of recommendations from previous race inquiries. They have told Eastern Eye that…
By Barnie Choudhury ASIAN and black people are dying needlessly and disproportionately because they are not being represented in senior ranks of the NHS, doctors, parliamentarians, and health bosses have told Eastern Eye. The paper can also reveal that a further 17 BAME doctors have died in the past 10…
By Barnie Choudhury QUESTIONS are being asked about whether a minister misled parliament during a debate on Public Health England’s (PHE) review into the disproportionately high number of Asian and black people who died from Covid-19, Eastern Eye has learnt. It follows last Thursday’s (4) urgent question to the equalities…
By Barnie Choudhury SIXTEEN of the 17 doctors who died during the time it took Public Health England to carry out its review into the disproportionate number of Asian and black people dying from coronavirus were BAME, Eastern Eye has learnt. The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union, also…
By Barnie Choudhury IF CORONAVIRUS has shown us one thing, it is that Asian and black people are dying disproportionately from the disease. This pandemic neither knows nor cares for race, social class or gender. It destroys lives, wreaking physical and emotional havoc in its wake. This week, Ankur Khajuria,…
By Barnie Choudhury PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND (PHE) did not speak formally to key experts and organisations for its review into why a disproportionate number of Asian and black people are dying from Covid-19, reliable sources have told Eastern Eye. On Tuesday (2), PHE published findings of its review into the…
By Barnie Choudhury and Rithika Siddhartha DOCTORS’ leaders have urged NHS managers to carry out “proper risk assessments” for frontline black, Asian and ethnic minority staff who are treating Covid-19 patients. Their recommendation comes as new analysis by the Guardian newspaper on Monday (25) showed that among healthcare workers who…
By Barnie Choudhury and Shailesh Solanki ASIAN and black health workers are being put in harm’s way during the coronavirus pandemic because of “structural racism”, one of the country’s leading equalities campaigners has claimed. Trevor Phillips, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said some workers were…
By Barnie Choudhury “TRUST is a fickle friend, Hari Puttar. Journalism is as journalists do. Remember that,” as the south Asian JK Rowling would never have said. I jest, but there is a serious message to my rambling thoughts. For some reason, those words sprang to mind when I read…
By Barnie Choudhury Children as young as 14 are contacting the police, using a special app, over fears they will be married against their will during the coronavirus lock down. That’s according to a leading charity which specialises in helping victims of forced marriage. The leap in numbers is an…
By Barnie Choudhury ONE of the country’s leading national charities which helps south Asian women escape domestic abuse says it fears Covid-19 will make it more difficult to get funding in the future. For the past 40 years, London’s Southall Black Sisters has helped hundreds of women flee violent…
By Barnie Choudhury WHEN Prince Charles said he wanted to be the ‘defender of faith’ rather than ‘the defender of the faith’ this paper ran the story on the front page. It understood the significance – a future head of state recognised that the UK could no longer be considered…
By Barnie Choudhury THE body which represents dentists in the UK has told Eastern Eye that it is disappointed with the government directive that self-employed members who earn more than £50,000 will not get help from a Covid-19 grant scheme. About one in four of the 11,800 practices which are…
By Barnie Choudhury [caption id="attachment_100105" align="alignleft" width="191"] Barnie Choudhury[/caption] The venom of her anger was unnecessarily violent as it was unexpectedly irrational. She had come into the Tesco Express in Leicester with her partner, and she did not like the way the shop assistant had looked at her. “I’ll bottle…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist OM SHANTI OM. Greetings from socially distancing SouthAsiastan, better known as Leicester. You know, that Rishi is such a good boy. His parents could not have known, but they named him appropriately. Significantly, the past few weeks suggest that ‘Rish’, as our esteemed prime…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist MAKE no mistake, Labour is in trouble. It has no credible leader. It has no credible deputy leader. It has no credible policies. Worst of all, it is fighting a fake war within itself. By taking so long to answer charges of anti-Semitism, making a…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist SINCE 1999, I have had the honour of teaching the next generation of journalists. My former students span every continent, and some are in leadership positions. So, this week I took a phone call from one working for a national broadcaster. “How could the…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist IT WOULD seem that British politics is more ruthless than the Game of Thrones. Last September, Sajid Javid was Ned Stark. He rallied the party faithful during the Conservative conference in Manchester. We learnt his mother thought that the first south Asians to…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist IN MARCH 2005, I was having coffee with an officer from the National Crime Squad, and she asked me what my biggest fear was post-9/11. I knew children as young as seven were being groomed to sell drugs, and I had heard chatter…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist I LOVE this country, and I would be willing to die for it. Britain has given me almost everything, and for the past 50 years, it has been home. It gave me my career in journalism. It let me join a quintessential symbol…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist I LOVE general election night, and to be more precise, I love being in the thick of it. So, I was super-excited to be at an election count for the first time in 15 years last Thursday (12). It was Leicester, my home city,…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist SO THAT’S that then. All done until the next time. We are slowly dissecting the outcome of the general election. What does it mean for our nation? How much nearer are we to ‘getting Brexit done’? Will we ever recover from the political torpor…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist I HAVE been really lucky during my professional career. It is not just the variety of roles I have undertaken, but the people I have been blessed to meet and from whom I have learned. In 1997, I was reporting about the Black Police…
Barnie Choudhury, Former BBC journalist THERE was a time when retailers had Christmas all to themselves. But that darn prime minister of ours decided to be the Grinch and call a general election. How thoughtless, because every conversation from now until December 12 will be about who you are going…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist EVERYONE knows where they were on September 11, 2001, when two planes slammed into the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York. But few of us will remember where we were the day before. Except I can, and for reasons which will soon…
by Barnie Choudhury IN THE late 1960s, those east African-Asians who saw signs that things were about to change for the worse fled Uganda. A few years later the dictator, Idi Amin, expelled the remaining 60,000, generously allowing them the clothes on their back and £5 in their pockets. Among…
LABOUR MP Keith Vaz, facing suspension for expressing willingness to purchase cocaine for others, said he will not stand for re-election. In a statement released yesterday evening (10), Vaz, 62, said he will be standing down as MP for Leicester East after 32 years representing the constituency. ALSO READ: Barnie…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist IT WAS 1996, and I had moved to Leicester where everyone was waxing lyrical about this dynamic, eloquent and change-making MP. His name was Keith Vaz and his record was impressive. A first-class law degree from Cambridge. A successful solicitor who moved to the…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist THERE were four of us who were black or Asian on the BBC local radio trainee scheme. We made up 25 per cent of the cohort, and were considered pioneers, even though in the previous year, at least three were Asian. I will be…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist WHEN my father died 19 years ago, I was in a shop buying a traditional white Punjabi kurta. My face and name were known at the time because, as a BBC correspondent, I was on TV most evenings reporting on issues affecting our communities.…
by Barnie Choudhury THIS week I want to declare a personal interest – I am the chair of Awaaz, a mental health charity in Nottingham which helps BAME people. We are celebrating 25 years in existence, and it is thanks to our chief executive, Angela Kandola, that we have survived…
by Barnie Choudhury BACK in 1981, a Sikh man was murdered in Coventry city centre. Tensions had been rising for weeks, and south Asians, Africans, Caribbeans and white residents could feel that this was only the start of our troubles. So when we heard that the anti-Nazi League was organising…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist ONE of the most bizarre conversations I had during my career in the BBC was with a very senior editor who rebuked me for campaigning journalism. I had been successful in helping to bring in a law against forced marriage, something I had been…
by Barnie Choudhury (Former BBC journalist) IT HAPPENED in September 1990. I was in Truro’s city centre because I was applying for a job as news editor at BBC Radio Cornwall. An old lady with a stoop and walking stick came up to me and rubbed my face. “So, it’s…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist “I AM completely party-less,” were the words of my friend Ashish as we met for lunch last week. In the turmoil of Brexit, I dismissed it as hyperbole. He continued, “I hate the Tories, can’t stand Corbyn, and I know I am liberal and…
THERE are political moments when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and don’t settle for some time. Lord (Geoffrey) Howe’s resignation speech in 1990 was one. It started the downfall of the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. At Prime Minister’s Questions last Wednesday (4), it happened…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist FOR those who don’t know about the best city in the UK, let me enlighten you. Leicester is home to the 2015-16 Premier League football champions; the place which produced Martin Johnson, the man who led the England squad to a glorious rugby World…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist MY FIRST prominent memory of Radio 4’s Today programme was on December 9, 1980. As ever, my father was listening to it on the Bakelite set we had in our lounge. I was getting ready for school, and I froze when I heard that…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist THE humble cabbie is my go-to when I want to know what is happening in a place that I’ve never visited before. They are priceless when you want authentic, unvarnished and unpalatable views. So, meet Shahid, an immigrant Muslim who has been ferrying people…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist “I HEAR you’re the most hated Asian in the BBC,” the national newspaper journalist said. It was December 2001, and I was at a Radio 4 Today Christmas party. “I was told by one of your Asian colleagues that you’re a sell-out, an Uncle…
By Barnie Choudhury Former BBC Journalist I WILL never forget the first time I got up close and personal with Boris Johnson. It was in New York in 2017, and we were at the UK embassy. He was the foreign secretary and I was the Commonwealth secretary-general’s media and PR…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist NO MATTER how old your son or daughter, you don’t want to see or hear them cry in pain. It’s absolutely heart-breaking, and worse when you cannot physically comfort them. So, when Olivia, our Leicester-born, Cambridge-educated and absolutely resilient 22-year-old rang in tears, we…
By Barnie Choudhury ON the eve of the UK choosing a new prime minister, the chair of the India Business Group, Lord Patel, has said that trade between India and Britain has never been more important. The fight for the country's highest political office is being decided by Conservative party…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist SOMETHING seismic has happened in the history of British broadcasting. No, it wasn’t that England’s brilliant victory in the Cricket World Cup was shown simultaneously on Sky and Channel 4. It was that after almost a century, the BBC has appointed its first ethnic…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist WHEN I watch the BBC, I’m either envious, proud or disappointed. When you’ve spent 24 years giving your best to an organisation, it’s not like pushing a button to switch off your emotions. You see, I’m one of those sad people who reads the…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist THERE’S an old joke. How do you know when a politician is lying? When their lips move. I was reminded of that when I watched the BBC’s The Secret Windrush Files. My old friend David Olusoga forensically destroyed any idea that the UK’s “hostile…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist LET’S make one thing absolutely crystal clear. I am proud to be British. No ifs, no buts. The UK is the place I call home, and I have withdrawal symptoms if I am away from this green and pleasant land for more than seven…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC Journalist IF THERE was anyone with any doubt that the Conservative party has tried to get rid of its racist tag, then the support for Sajid Javid should have given them pause for thought. In the past few weeks, ‘The Saj’ bandwagon has rolled into…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY, Former BBC journalist BACK in 2002, I was investigating how the Metropolitan Police was dealing with a senior ethnic minority officer they had accused of corruption. In his corner was a relatively unknown human rights lawyer and Labour councillor. Unlike other south Asians who had a taste…
by Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist WHEN I’m 80, I hope I will have earned the right to say what I want, when I want, and how I want. I hope friends, family and critics alike will forgive my oft idiotic, insensitive and ill-thought-out remarks. It’s not a crime…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY Former BBC journalist TODAY, like Shakespeare’s Mark Anthony, I come to bury Theresa May, not praise her. But unlike Mark Anthony, I will say nothing about those who plotted her demise, because it could easily be argued that she was the instrument of her own downfall. I…
by Barnie Choudhury Former BBC journalist JACK BAUER saved the world from annihilation several times, and on at least two occasions, his commander-in-chief was black. Matt Santos ran against the odds to win the nomination of the Democratic party in 2006 and became the US president. And we have…
IT TOOK me all of one second to conclude that Danny Baker would be sacked. That’s not because I’m a paid-up member of the politically correct brigade. Look at my record, and you’ll see that I have a habit of speaking unpalatable truths. The experienced broadcaster tweeted a photograph of…
by Barnie Choudhury IN MY favourite book, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, a father imparts a pearl of wisdom to his son about bravery, saying courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what”. When the Conservative…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY MANY years ago, the Channel 4 newscaster Jon Snow was a visiting professor of journalism at Nottingham Trent University, where I happened to lecture. Over the years, I learned from him, and so did my students. When asked by a national newspaper what he would like for…
by BARNIE CHOUDHURY LAST Thursday (28) I was in parliament on the eve of the meaningful vote two-and-a-half, or whatever it was called. It was for the ‘Parliamentary Review Gala’. What was that? Well, according to the invite it was “to celebrate, in person, the success and hard work of…