𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Conservatives have condemned David Lammy’s plan to recruit more ethnic minority judges as they insisted the criminal justice system should treat everyone the same, regardless of race. Nick Timothy, the Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “We need to dismantle the whole structure of identity politics and return us to equality before the law.”

And he said it was particularly shocking that Mr Lammy, the Justice Secretary, was pushing his plan after the murder of Henry Nowak, “revealed the reality of the left-wing ideology now embraced by public authorities of every kind”. Mr Lammy has launched a drive to help recruit more judges from ethnic minorities. A new Judicial and Legal Diversity Board will bring together senior legal figures to help remove barriers holding back “talented ethnic minority and other diverse candidates,” according to the Ministry of Justice.

Launching the initiative last month, Mr Lammy said: “This new board is a huge step forward as the Lady Chief Justice, and I look to break down barriers and back talent from all walks of life – continuing to drive real progress towards a judiciary that’s reflective of modern Britain.”

But Conservatives are calling for an end to policies in the criminal justice system that treat people differently based on their race or ethnicity. They argue that the murder of Henry Nowak shows the need for urgent change, after police initially treated the Asian killer as the victim and handcuffed Mr Nowak as he bled to death.

Mr Timothy said: “The appalling murder of Henry Nowak has revealed the reality of the left-wing ideology now embraced by public authorities of every kind.

“The pursuit of ‘equity’ explicitly rejects the principle of equal treatment, insisting instead that people should be treated differently on the basis of their racial or religious identity.”

He pointed out that Mr Lammy had supported “taking the knee” following the death of George Floyd in the US in 2020. Mr Timothy said: “This week he has sought to explain why it was right to take the knee for George Floyd, but not for Henry Nowak. He has told the media that he believes [that] to treat people equally we need treat them differently.

“After proposing policies that aim to reduce the number of criminals going to prison and reduce the severity of sentences handed down on the basis of age and identity, he chose last week of all weeks to promote his scheme to increase the number of judges from ethnic minority backgrounds.”

Mr Timothy added: “The rape gangs remain the most obvious example of how political correctness, left-wing ideology and a surrender to corrupting influences of clan culture and communalism are all poisoning our justice system.”

But he admitted: “While Labour are undoubtedly making things far worse, these problems were built up on the Conservatives’ watch in Government.”