Justice 4 Windrush

To Market was part of a five-strong agency team assembled to work with actor Colin McFarlane and Singer songwriter Annie Lennox joining musicians, actors, celebrities and campaigners to fight for #Justice4Windrush

The campaign was phase one of ongoing activities that called for swift and full government compensation for the Windrush generation. An open letter signed by high profile supporters was delivered to the Home Office endorsed by a host of famous names including: rapper and producer AJ Tracey, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, actress Hannah Waddingham, presenter Jay Blades, actor Eddie Marsan and singer Craig David and more; as well as leading charities and campaigners. The letter highlighted how the Home Office continued to inflict further suffering on Windrush families by failing to give them their entitlement to compensation.  

The open letter drew particular attention to the following injustices: 

• The Windrush Compensation Scheme launched with at least 15,000 eligible recipients. Yet at the end of August 2021, just 5.6% of them had received any compensation
• As of September 2023 11.63% of applicants have been waiting for over a year and 6.6% for over 18 months to receive a decision in their case 
• Applicants are refused legal aid, despite results being unreliable – one zero compensation ruling was upped to close to £300,000 on appeal  
• Only £71 million of an allocated £200-500 million has been paid out to victims 

 To rectify this, the #Justice4Windrush campaign called for the government to: 

• Make full and swift compensation for Windrush victims a Home Office priority
• Establish an independent body to take charge of the compensation scheme
• Review all rejected cases 
• Publicise the compensation scheme properly, so that victims know their rights 
• Ultimately, end the Hostile Environment immigration policy 

Annie Lennox said: “With #Justice4Windrush, we want to put the issue of Windrush front and centre, to ensure that the Windrush generation are seen, heard and healed. Bigotry, hatred and racism have pervaded the British establishment for too long. We need to put an immediate stop to the tragic injustice of this Home Office Scandal. Windrush victims deserve nothing less.”

Drawing support from campaigners and celebrities across the entertainment industries and with the participation of Windrush victims, the #Justice4Windrush campaign had several key activation points which the consortium of agencies worked together to produce and deliver:

• The launch of a film entitled ‘The Home Office Scandal’, on the life of a forgotten member of the Windrush generation, World War Two Veteran Flt Sgt Peter Brown 
• A social media campaign fronted by high-profile supporters promoting the campaign and featuring the #Justice4Windrush banner & an array of content
• The video release of an exclusive re-recording of ‘Why?’ by Annie Lennox, featuring victims & high profile supporters
• The delivery of the Open Letter to the Home Office

Justice4Windrush.org  

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