Warwick historians warn of bigotry and racism in post-Brexit UK

Thirty-seven historians at the University of Warwick have published a statement voicing their concerns surrounding racism in Britain, particularly since the Brexit vote in June.

The article, entitled “Bigotry seeks company in the UK”, was published on openDemocracy, self described as an “independent global media platform” which tackles social and political issues.

The statement was written by academics in Warwick’s History department, including lecturers and PhD students, and raises its alarm at the spike in racist incidents since June 23 2016.

It states that this racism is targeted at EU migrants and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, and that it is unsurprising that homophobic hate crime has risen alongside it.

It also mentions an allegedly racially-motivated incident in which a Polish shop, approximately 5 miles from Warwick’s Campus, was attacked with arsenic.

Another allegation was similarly made of a racially-motivated crime in Leamington Spa, after a car with Polish number plates was targeted and vandalised on a busy residential street.

This links to the Boar’s recent Freedom of Information request which highlighted that hate crime in Leamington Spa has risen 57% since Brexit.

The historians’ statement goes on to criticise the mainstream media for its role in the post-Brexit violence, claiming: “It has colluded in the myth of immigration as the source of all the nation’s ills the increasing myth that immigration is the root of many of the UK’s problems.”

The statements also warns that the last few months post-Brexit have several alarming historical resonances, comparing them to Germany in the 1930s.

One of such incidents they highlight was Theresa May’s remark that migrants are “citizens of nowhere” at the Conservative conference in Birmingham.

The article states: “While most Britons will agree that Nazi Germany was fundamentally debased, we need to remember that Nazism too began with small acts of prejudice and social exclusion, and public indifference to such acts normalized Nazi terror.”

The statements ends: “Contemporary Britain’s vibrancy flows from its pluralist and multicultural society. We need to fight to keep it so.”

Malcolm Lowe, a History finalist, commented: “I’m really happy the Warwick History department decided to make such a strong statement against the racist climate and the threat of fascism.

“As communities, universities should be sites of solidarity so it’s really encouraging to see such a powerful rebuke of government policy, and they’re setting the perfect example for students in the neoliberal university to put our principles before our careers!”

Malcolm added: “I hope they keep using their position to help push politics to the left, and maybe they can even show cynics that intellectuals aren’t socially irrelevant?”