- Conference
- 2017 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 8 June 2017
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes and deplores the racist comments made in April by Sun columnist Kelvin McKenzie about Everton FC midfielder Ross Barkley. Further comments made in the same column were derogatory about the City and people of Liverpool. These comments were made just days before the 28th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
Conference notes the appalling and hurtful coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough Football disaster by this same newspaper. The editor at the time was Kelvin McKenzie.
Conference applauds Liverpool FC and Everton FC for refusing Sun journalists access to their respective premises. We also applaud Liverpool City Mayor Joe Anderson for reporting McKenzie’s comments as a race hate crime.
Conference reaffirms its commitment to opposing and standing up to racism and all other forms of bigotry and hatred. We will not tolerate the politics of hate or allow them to go unchallenged.
Conference therefore agrees to:
1)Discourage delegates from bringing copies of the Sun newspaper into any UNISON conference;
2)Refuse access to Sun journalists to UNISON conferences and to any UNISON premises;
3)Ensure UNISON does not advertise in the Sun newspaper;
4)Encourages branches to support the ‘Total Eclipse of the S_N’ campaign.