HMT “Empire Windrush”: 80th Anniversary

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Tuesday 14th April 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Benjamin]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to celebrate the 80th anniversary in 2028 of HMT Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks, and to recognise the significant contribution the Caribbean community has made to Britain.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) (Lab)]

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for tabling this Question and for her leadership in championing Windrush recognition. The 80th anniversary of the arrival of the “Empire Windrush” will be a significant national milestone. The Government will work with communities to mark Windrush 80 with care, respect and pride, acknowledging past injustices while marking a moment of reflection, learning and pride in a legacy we must cherish, recognise and pass on. The noble Baroness will know that we are already working on a project with the railway industry to reflect the Windrush journey and its enduring contribution to modern Britain

[Baroness Benjamin (LD)]

I thank the Minister for that Answer. My Lords, I am so proud to be part of the Windrush generation who, like thousands of Caribbeans, have played and continue to play a part in British society, despite having faced hostility and rejection. It is great to hear that the Windrush Day scheme provides grants for local activities in recognition of their resilience and celebrates their invaluable contribution to Britain. However, the 80th anniversary in 2028 of the arrival of the “Empire Windrush” is a significant milestone which deserves far greater recognition to clearly define the occasion’s identity and the scale of its importance to modern British history. Will the Government consider providing additional funds for signature events for the whole country to recognise and show appreciation of the contribution made to the UK by the Windrush generation and really push the boat out, if you will excuse the pun? I am happy to meet the Minister to discuss this further.

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The noble Baroness’s energy for this subject is well recognised and welcomed across the House, and I celebrate and support what she does. One of my very closest friends, who has sadly now passed away, was part of the second generation; her family came from Trinidad. I knew this lady from junior school, so all through my life I have been hearing these fabulous stories of the Windrush generation. The Windrush generation and their descendants have made a very profound contribution to Britain, helping rebuild the country after the Second World War and playing a central role in shaping the NHS, public services and national infrastructure. As the noble Baroness said, it is a story of resilience and contribution, reflecting both the hardships people faced and the barriers they overcame.

The noble Baroness asked a very important question about funding. The Government are looking very carefully at the programme for funding. We need to make sure that it is funded properly, but it would not be right to pre-empt the decisions on funding before we have spoken very carefully to the steering committee that is working on this and will be making sure that we mark this in a way that is relevant for the community. Once we have done that, we will be able to put some costs against it, and the Government are determined to make sure that we recognise it properly.