BBC presenter Clive Myrie has spoken of his anger and shame over the Windrush scandal, which affected two of his older half-brothers. In extracts from his upcoming memoir, published in the Times, Myrie details how Lionel was denied benefits and healthcare, while Peter, who had prostate cancer, was unable to get a British passport before his death.
Myrie, whose parents moved from Jamaica to Bolton in the early 1960s, described the government's hostile environment policy as a 'complete and utter disgrace'. He called for restitution for those affected, saying: 'These people need restitution and that hasn't happened yet.'
The scandal, first uncovered by the Guardian, saw at least 83 people wrongly deported. An estimated 15,000 were eligible for compensation, but only one in four of 6,348 applicants had received payments by June.
Myrie recalled how Lionel had to prove his UK residency since 1973, eventually using a 1971 school choir photo. He is still waiting for a passport and compensation. Peter died before receiving either. Myrie said the events made him 'angry and also ashamed of my own country'.
The 59-year-old also detailed racism his family faced, including his mother being asked 'where her tail was' because of her skin colour. Her Jamaican teaching qualifications were not recognised in the UK, which Myrie called 'pure racism'.
