My Saturday morning was extraordinary. Within minutes of each other, I gained social media followers who turned out to be journalists from major publications. First, it was the Sun and the Daily Mail, then the Telegraph called, and I received an email from the Express. They all informed me that they were planning to write a story about me and wanted to offer me an opportunity to respond. My immediate suspicion was that this was a government-led smear campaign in response to my work advocating for Windrush scandal victims. I couldn’t imagine any other reason for this sudden attention. Two of the journalists revealed that they had received a dossier about me from Conservative party headquarters, which had been mistakenly or intentionally attached to an email.
Reflecting on historical instances of similar tactics, such as McCarthyism or the actions of intelligence agencies in Eastern Europe during the Soviet era, it was difficult to comprehend why someone like me, who has dedicated my life to my work and overcome significant challenges, could become the target of such scrutiny. Surprisingly, my work on the Windrush cases, which has constituted 90% of my professional endeavors in the past five years, was completely omitted from their discussions. It’s important to note that the Windrush scandal was initiated by the Conservative government itself, and they have since issued profuse apologies and pledged to rectify the situation through a compensation program and other measures.
During my representation of Windrush victims, I was invited to join the Windrush working group led by then Home Secretary Priti Patel. I attended numerous meetings with the Home Office and actively participated in the Windrush lessons learned review established by Sajid Javid during his tenure as home secretary. Initially, it seemed astonishing that these journalists had overlooked such significant details. However, it soon became clear that the smear campaign against me was not solely focused on the Windrush issue but rather an attack on the Labour party.
So, what did this dossier contain? It included a diagram linking Keir Starmer to anyone who questioned the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan. It mentioned a case where I represented a Jamaican man who had lived in the UK since the age of nine and was facing deportation. The dossier falsely claimed that I served as a paid race advisor to Starmer, whereas in reality, I volunteer for a working group established by Labour to examine racial disparities across various indicators, similar to the Conservative party’s Sewell report.
Furthermore, the dossier “outed” me as a trustee of Detention Action, a highly regarded NGO that supports individuals in immigration detention centers. This revelation likely stemmed from the organization’s legal challenge against the Rwanda scheme. However, the dossier failed to mention that I became a trustee after that particular legal battle. I did represent a man who was among seven individuals shackled on an airport tarmac, awaiting deportation to Rwanda until the court intervened. I feel no shame in my actions, as a doctor in the immigration detention center confirmed my client’s indications of being a torture victim.
There is no doubt that this story strategically coincided with the relocation of traumatized asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm. The government resorts to targeting vulnerable individuals and those who advocate for them to divert attention from pressing concerns prioritized by the electorate, such as the cost of living crisis, the environment, and the NHS.
This baseless attack on me and my work, built upon misinformation and misrepresentation, fueled by racism and misogyny, marks a dark day in our political landscape. It undermines the integrity and independence of thousands of dedicated lawyers. However, the silver lining is that millions of UK citizens recognize the unacceptable behavior of this faction within the ruling party. The overwhelming support I have received from friends, colleagues, and even strangers indicates that this government-led smear campaign has spectacularly backfired.
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Jacqueline McKenzie is a partner and head of immigration and asylum law at Leigh Day
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