David Lammy: Meghan and Harry racism debate 'lacks sophistication'

13 March 2021, 18:16

David Lammy claims Meghan and Harry debate hasn't developed

The media's debate around Meghan and Harry's racism claims is lacking 'complexity' according to David Lammy.

In the aftermath of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah, media outlets across the globe fixated on claims of systemic racism within the Royal Family.

David Lammy claimed that comments in the media lacked "enlightening, erudite or new" information on the subject, which convinced him to remain silent.

He went on to state that he didn't believe the debate "had the complexity or the depth" it deserved.

"In a mixed family it can be that there are conversations about what colour will this child be, what will their complexion be, what will their hair colour be."

"That's a subject that's happening across the country," he added.

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Despite his views, David noted that media focussed too much on one aspect of the racism debate.

"You can have a conversation institutionally about where the monarchy's at in issues like racism," he said, inviting the conversation to grow in complexity rather than focussing on one matter.

As a privy councillor, David admitted that he has never experienced racism at the hands of the Royal Family, but stressed that "that does not mean that Meghan and Harry's experience of the institution" was the same.

"I didn't really hear the sophistication in that discussion in most of the shows that I listened to over the course of this week."