NEW FOREST West Labour Party is shocked and angered by the comments of our local MP, Sir Desmond Swayne, in reply to a number of his constituents asking him to condemn the murder of George Floyd and the actions and words of President Trump.

This is another example of the complete lack of empathy by our MP for the everyday existence of those for whom he has little or no understanding.

He is clearly ill-equipped to conceive of the lives of many black and minority ethnic (BAME) citizens in the USA – or, indeed, in the UK.

No one would condone violence in any situation, but this was a tiny minority amongst hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters, and for Sir Desmond to suggest that “looters, arsonists and rioters have it coming” is completely unacceptable language from an elected, supposedly democratic, politician.

What does he mean, exactly?

Arresting looters is one thing, but does Sir Desmond seriously want them shot and killed?

As with Mr Trump’s increasingly hysterical outbursts, our local MP’s words almost deliberately endorse the potential for extreme violence against any form of protester, including those people who simply have a different view or lifestyle.

Sir Desmond should be aware that words have consequences.

In an area like the New Forest, where less than 5% of our citizens are from a BAME background, it is even more important that our elected representatives take responsibility to choose their words with care, rather than trot out some unthinking right-wing trope which can do nothing other than show a privileged ignorance of the real world for many people, in the US and UK.

Peter Kelleher

Chairman, New Forest West Labour Party