DOREEN LAWRENCE has called on the government and MPs to speak up on the rise of racism in Britain.

The Labour peer made the remarks in a discussion at Unison’s healthcare conference in Edinburgh yesterday, a week ahead of Stephen Lawrence Day.

April 22 marks the anniversary of the racist murder of her son on a London street. Outcry over the police investigation and allegations of a cover-up led to the MacPherson Inquiry, which went on in 1999 to brand the Metropolitan Police “institutionally racist.”

Asked by Unison’s head of health Helga Pile how we “fight the far right both in the streets and in our institutions,” Ms Lawrence said: “Racism is beginning to raise its head again and it’s getting more and more dangerous for young people to walk the streets now.”

Pointing to a lack of discussion of race in the House of Lords, she said: “If we within Parliament are not discussing race, then how are we going to discuss race outside?”

“We need to challenge the government and the MPs to start talking more and doing more around these issues.”