Theresa May Can't List Anything She Did To Protest Against Nelson Mandela's 27 Years In Prison

Her visit to Robben Island has been called "nauseating".
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Theresa May’s visit to Nelson Mandela’s prison cell has been branded “nauseating” after she was unable to name a single way she protested against his 27-year incarceration.

The Prime Minister visited Robben Island – where Mandela was locked up for 18 years – during a trip to South Africa.

But in an interview with Channel 4 News, May could not give any examples of how she supported the anti-apartheid movement in the 1980s.

Reporter Michael Crick asked whether May, as a “loyal party member”, shared Margaret Thatcher’s view that Mandela was a “terrorist”.

May admitted she never went on any protests against apartheid, unlike Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who was arrested in 1984 during a picket of the South African embassy.

"What did you do to help the release of Nelson Mandela?"

Theresa May is questioned over her stance on apartheid in the '70s and '80s. pic.twitter.com/8ibJCvpp3k

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 29, 2018

Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby took to Twitter to express her anger at May’s visit to Robben Island.

She did nothing to protest against apartheid, she didn't boycott S African goods, she didn't challenge Thatcher & other Tories calling #NelsonMandela a terrorist. To those of us who did all those things it's nauseating to see #TheresaMay visiting Robben Island for a photo op https://t.co/O9Tqtvf96b

— Jennie Formby (@JennieGenSec) August 28, 2018

Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell also spoke out on May’s record when it came to the anti-apartheid movement.

For years there was a 24 Hour permanent picket of South Africa House in Trafalgar Square that Jeremy and I supported. I spent one Christmas Day there singing anti apartheid carols. This was at a time when the Young Tories & many Tory MPs were calling for Mandela to be hung. https://t.co/cGZINmU3SU

— John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) August 29, 2018

May was given a tour of the cell where Mandela was kept from 1964 to 1982, and wrote in the visitors’ book: “It has been a privilege to visit in this year - the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

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