{UAH} Angry UK Labour MP David Lammy Slams UK Charity For Taking Advantage Of The Poverty And Suffering Of Ugandans To Make Money
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David Lammy blasts 'uneducated' Stacey Dooley and accuses her of 'using Instagram to look like a heroine saving black children' - as Comic Relief reveals race row Labour politician SNUBBED offer to go to Africa
- Stacey Dooley, 31, is filming a documentary in Uganda with charity Comic Relief
- Instagram pictures show her filming in the country and meeting the locals
- Labour MP David Lammy accused her of perpetuating an 'unhelpful stereotype'
- Comic Relief criticised in the past for using 'poverty porn' in their charity appeals
Comic Relief today accused David Lammy of snubbing a charity trip to Africa as the MP again attacked Stacey Dooley and accused her of using Instagram to make herself look like a 'heroine' and black children as 'victims'.
The 31-year-old investigative reporter and Strictly star was involved in a Twitter spat with Mr Lammy over her charity documentary in Uganda and social media portraits of her hugging children being helped by the BBC-backed charity.
Miss Dooley hit back at Mr Lammy last night and said: 'If the issue is that I'm white... you could always go'.
The Labour MP for Tottenham said today that her comments showed she had 'failed to educate herself', adding on BBC News' Victoria Derbyshire show: 'Her Instagram conveys the age old trope that is her as the heroine and the black child as the victim and we have to stop it'.
He also said that Comic Relief, which has raised more than £1billion for poor communities in Britain and abroad in the past 30 years, is 'tired and outdated' and needs to 'change the record and grow up'.
Its founders including Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis are yet to speak out but a spokesman made no apologies for Miss Dooley's work in Uganda.
She said: 'We have previously asked David Lammy if he would like to work with us to make a film in Africa and he has not responded. The offer is still open'.
Mr Lammy was asked about the invitation and said: 'That's not quite true. I wasn't willing to work under their PR machine but said I wanted to see how Comic Relief went this year'.
Labour MP David Lammy criticised Stacey Dooley for appearing in a Comic Relief documentary in Uganda which promotes 'tired and unhelpful stereotypes' and for encouraging a 'white saviour' complex - sparking a war of words between the pair
Dooley, 31, is currently filming with Comic Relief about neonatal clinics and malaria in Uganda
Mr Lammy did acknowledge Miss Dooley's 'good motives' but bemoaned the British celebrity trope of travelling to poorer parts of Africa to film Comic Relief packages
Mr Lammy denied that he wanted Comic Relief scrapped but said it should move away from sending white celebrities to African villages as colonial-type saviours.
He said: 'The BBC, which has a responsibility to educate, which has a responsibility for multi-culturalism and equality, is failing if it allows Comic Relief, and Richard Curtis, effectively, just to sit back, with the same old white privilege, and the same old comedians raking in money for what purpose?
'I saw for what purpose because Comic Relief doesn't need to exist'.
The war of words between the London MP, the charity and Miss Dooley has now rumbled on for 48 hours.
Strictly star, Miss Dooley is in Africa filming for the charity and posted pictures on Instagram of local women dancing and of children hugging her.
However, the Tottenham MP accused Miss Dooley of showing a 'distorted image of Africa' and perpetuating a 'colonial era' mentality that suggests white people are the solution to poverty in deprived parts of the world.
Mr Lammy, 46, acknowledged Miss Dooley's 'good motives' but bemoaned the British celebrity trope of travelling to Africa to film charity appeals.
Miss Dooley, whose documentary focuses on Malaria and neonatal clinics, responded to the MPs twitter remarks and highlighted the £1billion raised by Comic Relief since it was founded in 1985 by the comedian Lenny Henry.
Writing on social media, Mr Lammy said: 'The world doesn't need anymore white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes.'
The MP added: 'Let's promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have a serious debate.'
Addressing Miss Dooley directly, he said: 'This isn't personal and I don't question your good motives. My problem with British celebrities being flown out by Comic Relief to make these films is that it sends a distorted image of Africa which perpetuates an old idea from the colonial era.'
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Miss Dooley replied: 'Is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) ...because if that's the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness [sic]?
'I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives.'
Mr Lammy added that it's 'complacent to suggest that colonial attitudes are dead', and pointed to the Oxfam scandal, where white aid workers volunteering in Haiti sexually exploited women living in desperate poverty.
The debate comes against a broader backdrop of criticism against the Comic Relief for promoting 'poverty porn', and in 2018 charity bosses said they would stop using celebrities such as Ed Sheeran and Eddie Redmayne in future appeals.
Miss Dooley arrived in Uganda 5 days ago, posting pictures of women dancing, children she's met and pictures of her filming. Mr Lammy criticised the 'white saviour' complex promoted by celebrities such as Miss Dooley
The activist have bombarded her Instagram posts with comments asking her to meet up with the group before she leaves the country
Liz Warner, CEO of Comic Relief, said the organisation had taken its 'first steps' towards change after Mr Lammy slammed the charity for portraying Africa as a continent of poverty-stricken victims and stereotypes.
Aid watchdog SAIH also criticised a video of pop star Sheeran meeting a street boy in Liberia and offering to pay for his housing.
Ms Warner said Comic Relief had replaced celebrity storytellers with Africans, following a record-breaking 24-hour telethon that raised £55.4million in 2016.
Yesterday activists for the 'No White Saviours' group pleaded with the journalist to meet them, claiming that they could 'educate her' on 'colonial era' stereoptypes.
The group posted messages on her Instagram saying: 'When you come to our country and decide to perpetuate a certain narrative we really want to help you understand why this is harmful.'
The group post on their website and social media about white saviourism - linking to articles about white mothers adopting African children, and criticising charity workers who have a white savior complex.
Miss Dooley started her career as a documentary maker in 2009 with her series Stacey Dooley investigates, looking at subjects such as sex trafficking in Cambodia and homelessness.
She went on to appear in last years Strictly Come Dancing, where she won the show with dance partner Kevin Clifton.
She also released her paperback version of her book Stacey's On The Front Line this month, which takes a look at some of the people she's met during her time as a documentary-maker.
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Stacey Dooley criticised by Labour MP David Lammy
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