Sunak Crown’s ideal replica?

THE EDITOR: Open letter to the British High Commissioner in TT.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held a press conference to update his country on the Rwanda immigration dilemma.

Here are some of the statements he made (not necessarily in this order) during his presentation:

“Illegal immigration undermines not just our borders but the very sense of fairness to our national character.”

“My family came here legally, worked hard and built lives, businesses and found friends and neighbours, and that’s why you see children of immigrants sitting around the Cabinet table. That feeling cascades down generations and grows.”

“We play by the rules. If some people can just cut that out, we lose control of our borders.”

“I will not allow a foreign court (referring to the European Court for Human Rights) to block these laws.”

This presentation by Sunak reminded me so much of Lady Susan Hussey, the late queen’s lady-in-waiting.

Hussey repeatedly questioned a black woman’s presence at a Buckingham Palace event that she (the black woman) was invited to, particularly about her nationality and what part of Africa she came from.

Here now is the British prime minister literally boasting that his family came to Britain legally and prospered and children of immigrants (supposedly his predecessors) now sitting around the Cabinet table. Added to his body language, was it just my imagination or was there actually an air of aloofness displayed there?

He declared that illegal immigration undermines not just their borders but the very sense of fairness to, get this, their national character. He went on to say that they (the British) played by the rules and if some people can just cut that out, they (the British) will lose control of their borders.

Has it never occurred to Sunak or has he conveniently forgotten the Europeans' not just unauthorised but armed arrival and plunder (repeatedly) of the African continent over hundreds of years? And since from time immemorial they (Europeans) have been dictating most of the rules? Did they conclude it was then legal for them to enter someone else’s country without permission to capture and ransack?

Yesterday Africans were beaten and brought in chains to Europe and the West as slaves. Today, the same Europeans are securing their borders to prevent the very same Africans from entering their countries.

Sunak also made a laughable (or should it be perplexing?) comment. He said that as prime minister he will not allow, get this, a foreign court to block their laws. I describe that declaration as laughable because isn’t that exactly what we (TT) are permitting the British to do when it comes to many of our crucial legal decisions?

Under British laws, the Crown maintains specific legal powers, referred to as the royal prerogative. The government, the courts and Parliament operate in the name of the Crown.

With the now global cry for racial equality and Britain being the rigid Caucasian-led country it has always been, if only to further cover the British already obscure mannerism, has it found the perfect like-minded non-Caucasian leader?

All our citizens, more so those who influence our laws, should take a few minutes and listen to Sunak’s presentation in its entirety.

LLOYD RAGOO

Chaguanas