Unite leadership hopeful accused of racism after calling for Home Secretary leave the country 

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A leadership candidate for one of Britain’s biggest trade unions was accused of racism last night after he called for Priti Patel to be deported.

Howard Beckett is running to succeed Len McCluskey as general secretary of Unite.

In a message posted on Twitter yesterday, he called for the Home Secretary, Britain’s most senior ethnic minority politician, to be kicked out.

The tweet, in response to an attempt to deport two asylum seekers in Glasgow, read: ‘Priti Patel should be deported, not refugees. She can go along with anyone else who supports institutional racism. She is disgusting.’

It prompted an immediate backlash, with social media users telling Mr Beckett it was ‘racist’ and warning that his remark ‘sounded like the BNP’. 

The fallout came as huge crowds cheered and applauded yesterday when two Indian men, initially detained by Border Force officials in an immigration van, were eventually released by police following a stand-off with hundreds of protesters.

Locals surrounded the enforcement vehicle on Thursday afternoon, with some sitting on the road in front of it, and one even laying underneath it, as part of a demonstration against an earlier immigration raid. 

Around 200 protesters were at the scene, with chants of ‘Leave our neighbours, let them go’ and ‘Cops go home’ being heard as a ring of police stood around the van. 

The mid-morning forced removal saw the two young men taken from a top-floor flat by Home Office officials. 

Authorities say they were detained on suspicion of immigration offences before being released on bail pending further investigation.

Footage posted to social media then captured the moment they stepped out of the van, surrounded by dozens of officers. 

Campaigners hailed their release as a victory for Glaswegian solidarity and insisted officials had ‘messed with the wrong city’.

Mr Beckett then also weighed in, but his comments have since sparked a huge backlash.

Gurinder Singh Josan, a member of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee who is also a Unite member, tweeted: ‘Howard showing his true colours? 

‘I totally disagree on pretty much everything with Priti Patel but this is simply dog whistle racism against a woman of colour. Delete this now!’

Mr Beckett initially refused to back down, arguing that his tweet was ‘about society being able to do without anyone who promotes racism’. 

However, he removed it last night, writing: ‘I’m very sorry for my earlier tweet. I was angry to see Muslim refugees being deported on the morning of Eid Al Fitr.’

Miss Patel was born in London after her parents came to Britain from Uganda in the 1960s. Mr Beckett is the closest lieutenant to the outgoing Mr McCluskey and is currently assistant general secretary. 

Speaking about the incident in Glasgow, Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the Home Office’s actions had been ‘reckless’.

Saying that immigration was a reserved issue, he tweeted: ‘Situation should never have occurred – the UK Govt’s hostile environment is not welcome here’.

He added: ‘I abhor Home Office immigration policy at the best of times, but to have taken the action they have today is at best completely reckless, and at worst intended to provoke.’

However, a source close to Miss Patel condemned the actions of the demonstrators, claiming: ‘It is completely unacceptable for a mob to stop the lawful removal of people living in our country illegally.

‘This government 100% backs the frontline in removing those with no right to be here.’

A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘The UK Government is tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes, often to the most vulnerable people by removing those with no right to be in the UK. 

‘The operation in Glasgow was conducted in relation to suspected immigration offences and the two Indian nationals complied with officers at all times.

‘The UK Government continues to tackle illegal migration in all its forms and our New Plan for Immigration will speed up the removal of those who have entered the UK illegally.’ 

A Police Scotland statement said Superintendent Mark Sutherland had decided to release the detained men ‘in order to protect the safety, public health and wellbeing of those involved in the detention and subsequent protest’.

The force asked those nearby to disperse from the area as soon as possible.

A spokeswoman said earlier: ‘Police Scotland does not assist in the removal of asylum seekers. Officers are at the scene to police the protest and to ensure public safety.’   

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said earlier she was ‘deeply concerned’ about the incident ‘in the heart of a community celebrating Eid’.

Ms Sturgeon, who was sworn in on Thursday as MSP for Glasgow Southside, added: ‘My office is making urgent enquiries and stands ready to offer any necessary assistance to those detained.’

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he was ‘disgusted by the Home Office raids’.

He tweeted: ‘It is particularly unacceptable that this is happening during a pandemic, in an area that has a spike in cases and on the day of Eid.’   

Ms Sturgeon also accused the Home Office of creating ‘a dangerous and unacceptable situation’ in the city.

She wrote on Twitter: ‘The @ukhomeoffice action today is creating a dangerous and unacceptable situation in Pollokshields. As local MSP, I am also seeking urgent answers from them – they must resolve this situation ASAP.’

Glasgow Central MSP Alison Thewliss added: ‘This is absolutely awful, but heartened to see local residents in Pollokshields standing up for their neighbours and refusing to accept the brutality of the UK Home Office. 

‘I am taking this matter up with Ministers. Not in our name.’ 

Co-leader of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie, wrote: ‘It’s horrific that people are forced to take such action to defend their most vulnerable neighbours from the brutality of the UK Home Office.

‘We need an asylum system worthy of the name, and asylum support provided to a standard our communities can be proud of.’ 

Imagery shared on social media showed a refreshments stall has been set up in a nearby bus stop on Kenmure Street for protesters.

Another video shows a man placing a sign outside his window on the street which reads: ‘If this is Team UK we reject it.’

Lawyer Aamer Anwar tweeted: ‘What a cynical provocative & disgusting move, on the day of #Eid @policescotland are assisting @pritipatel Home Office immigration in enforcement raid- as people of Pollokshields turn out. These are our neighbours. Let them go.’ 

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘At around 9.55am this morning, police were called to support colleagues at the UK Border Agency at an address in Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, Glasgow. 

‘A number of protesters are now at the location. Officers are at the scene and inquiries are continuing.’

Police later added: ‘The call was made by UK Immigration Enforcement (UKIE) after a group of protesters gathered at the address where UKIE staff were in attendance.

‘Police Scotland does not assist in the removal of asylum seekers. 

‘Officers are at the scene to police the protest and to ensure public safety.’

Mohammad Asif, director of the Afghan Human Rights Foundation, was one of what he said were hundreds of neighbours protesting against the action. 

The 54-year-old said: ‘We’re here against the hostile environment created by the Tories and the British state.

‘The same people who run from the British and American bombs put at the back of the van right now. And they are about to be deported.

‘And it’s on Eid you know… the guys are not even allowed to pray. How do you do that in a democratic society? It’s a sad day.’

Mr Asif, who left Afghanistan as a refugee himself in 2000, said the atmosphere amongst the protesters is peaceful.

Sabir Zazai, chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, wrote: ‘Not close to the details on this but this is shocking, disgraceful and racist if people are raided by enforcement officers amidst the pandemic on the day of #Eid.’

Lotte, an artist and member of the Scottish tenants union Living Rent, lives on a street nearby and joined the protest when she saw a small group outside the property on Kenmure Street at 10am on Thursday.

The 26-year-old said: ‘I’d like to express my utter disgust at the brutal removal of my neighbours from their home.

‘It is an awful thing to do on any day, but today being Eid makes it 10 times worse. I hope they will let our neighbours go.

‘Police are surrounding the Home Office van… they are refusing to answer questions about whether they have access to legal representation.

‘They claim that they don’t know anything about the deportation and are just ‘protecting the Home Office’.’