Final day to get 25% off my new book at Waterstones! South Asians were far more than passive victims of racism and colonialism. They organised, resisted, and helped shape history through collective action. www.waterstones.com/book/come-wh...

2 days left to get 25% off my new book on British South Asian history at Waterstones. South Asians were far more than passive victims of racism and colonialism. They organised, resisted, and helped shape history through collective action. Get it here: www.waterstones.com/book/come-wh...

🚨 One week only: 50% off my new book on the history of British South Asian political activism. South Asians were far more than passive victims of racism and colonialism. They organised, resisted, and helped shape history through collective action. manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526177582/

Bookmarks are here! My book on the history of British South Asian political activism is available for pre-order now.

Speaking in West Sussex next month on rising racism and how we bring communities together.

My book on the history of British South Asian political activism is available to pre-order now. www.waterstones.com/book/come-wh...

My book on the history of British South Asian political activism is available for pre-order now. www.waterstones.com/book/come-wh...

This note is from my English teacher, Miss Fielden. She taught me for 5 years, believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my passions. More than a decade on, I’ve written my first book.

Tommy Robinson: 'I challenge any journalist to come to Luton and find Muslims with non Muslims.' I'm a journalist from Luton and this man is talking utter nonsense. A pleasure to work on this film, chatting to incredible people in my hometown and separating fact from fiction.

NEWS: I’ve set up an independent anti-racist reporting and monitoring organisation. We’ll document racist attacks, support victims, pressure authorities to act, and amplify the voices of smaller, more isolated Black and Asian communities across Britain.🧵

From revolutionaries fighting for freedom to seafarers coordinating global strikes, South Asians have a rich tradition of political activism in Britain. I'll be delivering the Frow Memorial Lecture in Salford this year on this incredible history.

'What you are running here is not a factory, it is a zoo. But in a zoo, there are many types of animals. Some are monkeys, who dance on your fingertips. Others are lions, who can bite your head off. We are the lions, Mr Manager.' — Jayaben Desai, 1976-78 Grunwick strike leader

Absolutely bonkers

This will not work. Parroting the far-right only strengthens the far-right. They set the agenda. They win the ideological battle. In the end, voters prefer the original to the copy. That's the story across Europe.

Top reasons 2024 Labour voters are abandoning the party: 1) Cuts to winter fuel payment 2) Not reduced cost of living 3) Not improved public services 4) Broken too many promises 5) Not stood up to the rich and powerful (YouGov polling)

Labour will never out-Farage Farage. Across Europe, centrist parties have adopted right-wing narratives and policies. This has only strengthened the far-right. They set the agenda. They win the ideological battle. In the end, voters prefer the original not the copy.

What is less known about this election is the role Labour candidate Gordon-Walker played in sowing the seeds of his own demise by providing legitimacy to his opponent’s arguments on migration. Instead of dismantling the moral panic, he allowed his opponent to dictate the agenda.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the most racist election campaign in British history. In 1964, Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths won in Smethwick with the vile slogan, “If you want a n***** for a neighbour, vote Labour.” 60 years on, how much has really changed? 🧵

Vauxhall workers in Luton are holding a two-day protest over Stellantis’ plans to shut its profitable electric van factory, putting more than 1,100 jobs at risk. A number of lorries have turned around this morning, refusing to assist plant removal.

Vauxhall workers will hold a two-day protest and a rally over the company’s plans to shut its profitable electric van factory. 🗓Tuesday 17 Dec & Wednesday 18 Dec ⏰️ 8am to 4pm 📣 Rally 12 noon on Tue 17 Dec 📍 Gate 1, Vauxhall (IBC Luton), Kimpton Road, Luton, LU2 0JX

Benjamin Zephaniah on his refusal to accept an OBE. 'No way Mr Blair, no way Mrs Queen. I am profoundly anti-empire.' Today marks one year since he passed away. A man of integrity. Rest in power.

Great event on Islamophobia at the Indian Workers' Association HQ in Handsworth. It was from this very poor Black and Asian community that thousands of pounds were raised to support striking miners in 1984. Funds and food were sent to miners across the Midlands and South Wales.

My latest column on the erasure of South Asians from conversations about class. hyphenonline.com/2024/11/21/b...

The first photo is from an anti-apartheid demonstration in 1982 — a year after Ditta had won her case. She worked closely with the Asian Youth Movements and supported the Bradford 12 Campaign.

The Government was forced to make an embarrassing U-turn. Anwar’s success inspired others to keep fighting against racist immigration legislation, and Anwar continued to speak at public meetings, exposing the prejudices of the immigration laws of the time.

Despite losing her appeal and having no legal avenue left, Ditta persisted in her efforts to be reunited with her family. Her campaign gained momentum and eventually led to a documentary by Granada TV, in 1981, which proved that her children were hers through blood tests.

In 1979, Anwar was told that her three Pakistan-born children would not be allowed to join her in the UK due to new stricter immigration laws; the Home Office said they didn’t believe Anwar’s children were hers.

Remembering the formidable anti-racist campaigner Anwar Ditta. A working-class Kashmiri woman, she was born in Birmingham and lived in Rochdale, sharing platforms with the likes of Tony Benn and Arthur Scargill and leading numerous anti-deportation campaigns.🧵

'What you are running here is not a factory, it is a zoo. But in a zoo, there are many types of animals. Some are monkeys, who dance on your fingertips. Others are lions, who can bite your head off. We are the lions, Mr Manager.' — Jayaben Desai during the 1976 Grunwick strike

Immigrants are a convenient scapegoat for politicians who want to avoid accountability for their own failings.