I was honoured to deliver the 25th annual Bernie Grant Memorial Lecture in Parliament. Bernie Grant was one of Labour’s first Black MPs, elected to office in 1987. He was a giant of British politics, a community champion, and one of the most principled voices ever to sit in Parliament.

Bernie did not just make history; he changed it. His politics were rooted in the radical tradition of anti-imperial struggle. He was unapologetic about calling for reparations, not as a fringe demand, but as a necessary part of justice.

He changed history by challenging its telling. He reminded Britain of the truths it tried so desperately to forget—the truths about empire, about colonialism, about slavery, and about the lasting debts owed to African people and their descendants.

We paid tribute to a political visionary and renewed our commitment to continue his legacy, challenging colonial amnesia and demanding justice for the lasting damage of enslavement and colonisation.