Peerage for Doreen Lawrence

[susiq]

the Stephen Lawrence murder was a terrible crime, but can you tell me why his mother is getting a peerage?, sadly, there have been many people murdered, are all the parents being invited to enter parliament, I think not, so what is the reasoning behind this particular move, if it is to fight racialisim there are many worthwhile groups already fighting this cause, whilst I sympathise with the Lawrence family there seems to be a hidden agenda here by the Labour government.

[????]

You bring her up compared to some of the real travesties that have been given peerages in the past? I can think of several others dozen far less deserving than her whose peerages go without comment. Bizarre.

finally....labour government?...did you miss that election a few years back, u know dour Scottish chap replaced by Home Counties toff?

[StraferJack]

weird OP for sure

And the phrase "racialism" always gets my spidey senses going.

Perhaps susiq, you could explain your crieteria for who IS deserving of a "peerage"?

I would argue that she not only lost her son to murderers, but she, OVER YEARS, fought the institutional racism within the met police and elsewhere to raise the issues which go beyond the bald fact of her son's murder. She was able to marshall the media, keep the public engaged and didn't give up. I doff my cap to people like her

[Laur]

I agree Doreen Lawrence should get a peerage.

"Doreen Lawrence has campaigned tirelessly for justice for her 18-year-old son Stephen, who was stabbed to death after being set upon by a gang of white youths while waiting at a bus stop in south London in 1993.

She founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to support young people from ethnic minority backgrounds to pursue their ambitions, and has been chosen to sit on Home Office and police panels".

A Labour source said: "Doreen Lawrence is a hero of modern Britain. The strength and courage she has shown in her fight for justice for her son Stephen has had a profound impact on attitudes to racism and policing. Her campaigning has changed, and will continue to change, our country for the better.

"Ed Miliband believes voices like hers should always be heard in Parliament."

[JohnL]

She's done loads of unpaid work and deserves recognition as a working peer (it's like a job title).

Obviously has the motivation

[polla2256]

I would much prefer somebody to sit in the house that has jumped head first into the lions pit of institutional racism within the state and made a change for the better than a jumped up howling lord / lady with the moral aptitude of a rat.

[uncleglen]

This 'institutional racism' within the State is rubbish imo- they had to find it was true because there was no alternative.

[KidKruger]

Peerage is a poor second best to simply having the investigation into her son's murder conducted without prejudice.

Stephen is dead and only a couple of those responsible are behind bars, even that took well over a decade to achieve while the others still pollute our streets.

[susiq]

do not disagree with any of the things mentioned above but, after all the reports regarding police and government failures in this case the timing of the offered peerage seems contrived, and as I said there are many people who have lost loved ones to violence, racist and not, i.e. soldier at Woolwich. and what about moors murderer victim Keith Bennets mum (sadly now passed)she campaigned for years, as have many others, those who have fought racism for years, where are their peerages.

[LondonMix]

Your objections are hard to understand. Are you saying that campaign for justice she ran for years, the impact that campaign had on government institutions and the charity she established (and the good work it has done) are run of the mill accomplishments achieved by lots of people and therefore not worthy of a peerage or are you saying more people deserve peerages?

Of course the appointment is contrived in the sense that it has some political dimension to it. However, if it wasn't broadly supported by public opinion then as a political act it would have no impact.

Adding a voice within parliamentary debate of someone who has fought against injustice and corruption within government institutions seems like a good idea to me.

[fl0wer]

Today: Guardian item on same topic, (thread open BTL) =>http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/07/doreen-lawrence-peerage-harm-stephen-lawrence-cause