Kingston, 25 March 2024 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, issued the following statement today.

Minister’s Statement follows:

I met Diane Abbott many years ago during one of her early visits to Jamaica and I know that she has suffered racism in capturing and keeping her historic post as the first Black female member of the British parliament.

As a Jamaican woman, I was shocked to read that a prominent Englishman had made such a horrible statement that seeing Diane Abbott on tv made him ‘want to hate all Black women’.

That the woman of whom he spoke has Jamaican roots, made his statement a personal offence to me and all Black Jamaican women.

On behalf of all Jamaicans, I offer Diane full support in this difficult situation.

As Bob Marley sang, quoting Emperor Haile Selassie, ‘Until the colour of a man - or woman’s - skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes’ there will be no peace.

I therefore hope there is some way to reconcile this matter in a way that brings peace.

ONE LOVE.

END