Last week, Sheffield Green Party Councillor and Chair of the Adult Health and Social Care committee Maleiki Haybe was subjected to a torrent of racist abuse. This followed his comments on Reform UK ‘s proposed damaging and discriminatory attacks on Personal Independence Payments. Personal Independence Payments, while in many cases inadequate, are a lifeline for thousands of people in Sheffield in order to be able to live independent lives and participate in society.
Cllr Alexi Dimond, Deputy Leader of the Green Group on Sheffield City Council said:
“The relentless attacks by Reform supporters and assorted racists across social media (largely Facebook) and in the Sheffield Star’s comments pages against our colleague are true to Reform Plc’s nature as a racist and ableist party funded by billionaires determined to cement their power and privilege.”
“As Sheffield Green councillors, we invite Sheffield Reform councillors to publicly distance themselves from the racism displayed by their supporters and set out their position on support for people with disabilities and other conditions which their party’s policies would exclude from society.”
“We also call on The Sheffield Star, in the wake of the vicious and public attacks to take their responsibilities seriously and start to moderate both their letters and comments pages.”
“In the wake of the media’s coordinated racist smear campaign which caused the death of Professor Jason Arday, it is well past time that the government acts to hold media companies and social media companies to account for their systemic racism.”
“It is also time for every one of us in public life, from politicians to journalists, to reflect on how we conduct ourselves. In order to be part of the solution we must all be anti-racist. To the Labour Government and MPs I say this: you do not beat Reform by implementing their policies and repeating their rhetoric. It is time for you to actually oppose racism and fascism, not enact it, and it is time to properly regulate our corrupt and murderous media.”
