Bianca Williams And Tory Racism

Athlete Bianca Williams, who has represented Team GB, her partner Ricardo dos Santos, who has represented his native Portugal, and their three-month-old son were driving around the Maida Vale area of north-west London recently when they were apprehended by the Met’s finest, allegedly for driving on the wrong side of the road.

Bianca Williams

What followed was captured on video: both dos Santos and Ms Williams were hauled out of their car and handcuffed. The car was searched; nothing illegal was found. Ms Williams was not happy about being stopped for the highly creative offence of Driving A Dark Coloured Mercedes-Benz While Being Black. The cops have now apologised.

As the BBC has reported, “British sprinter Bianca Williams has received an apology from the Met Police after she and her partner were pulled over in their car in a stop-and-search … Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told a committee of MPs officers had visited Ms Williams to apologise for ‘distress’ caused by the stop”. However, “Ms Williams said police had apologised for the distress but not their actions”.

Given the amount of publicity surrounding the incident, and its sensitivity, one might expect those holding elective office to be informed, and not indulge in clumsy racism. But for one councillor on Merseyside, that thought would have been misplaced: Denise Dutton, who is deputy leader of Sefton Conservatives, went in with both feet.

Cllr Denise Dutton

As the Liverpool Echo has reported, Cllr Dutton decided to conduct a Twitter poll on Ms William’s suitability as a Team GB athlete (and, as Theresa May once put it, I am not making this up): “She asked: ‘Should Bianca Williams now be banned from representing TeamGB at all future events?’ The question was met with shock and consternation from many, who asked what her reasoning was for the suggestion”. There was more.

Cllr Dutton was then the subject of severely adverse comment. But as the Echo notes, she carried right along. “Responding, Cllr Dutton added: ‘If she thinks the UK is so racist why would ppl want to her to represent TeamGB?’ Attempting to defend her comments, she added: ‘I haven't got a racist bone in my body (as anyone who knows me will attest to) but to say the country she represents is racist is just wrong - end of.’”

Councillor who does not have a racist bone in her body wants an athlete sacked from Team GB after experiencing what looks very much like racial profiling and calling it out. The Echo added “Hundreds of people criticised the councillor's comments … Several suggested she should resign over them … The councillor now appears to have deleted the comments regarding Ms Williams”. Some Tweeters reported her for hate speech.

As far as is known, the Tories have not so much as reprimanded Cllr Dutton. Figures.

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