First we have Boris Johnson apologising for articles he published whilst editor of The Spectator, and then we have this:
The Conservatives were today hit by a “racism” row after two black party members claimed they were “stopped and searched” when trying to attend a local association meeting.
The men said they were “traumatised” by their treatment at the hands of party officials in Brent North.
They claim that even though they showed their membership cards and other identification, while others were waved into the association’s AGM they were ordered to one side and “forced to empty their pockets” before being allowed to enter.
In a letter to Bob Blackman, the local Tory leader, Arena Sesay, 22, and Lawrence Okuns, 20, said they felt “like animals ready to be sent to the slaughter house”.
They added: “We strongly believe that the security personnel/chairman and yourself took a strong distaste to us at first sight because we are young blacks dressed in casual denim and bomber jackets and hair-braids/dreadlocks and did not fit your individual criteria of a young Conservative : l i ly- white, pin-striped articulate middle-class young man.
“We expect such stereotyping from old white men… since we are victims of this in our daily lives and through our lives’ journeys, but not from public figures in office of an important political organisation as the Conservative Party, especially in Brent, where we have such a diverse population.”
You can read the full story here.
13 Comments
I can’t understand why any black person would like to be a member of the Conservative Party, anyway. I wouldn’t.
I’m white and people would probably call me middle class, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be a member of the Conservative Party!
I’m a white male, but I’m working-class and disabled. So I’m not priviliged after all
The problem for the Tories is that if they did really change into an open caring Party , they would cease to be Tories!
Yes, Dave from PR’s “modernising” has ground to a halt and the usual far right bastards have reasserted themselves. If (God forbid) BoJo becomes Mayor of London you’ll see their true colours soon enough.
Basically, Camoron can’t do anything remotely progressive because he’s terrified of his own party. And who wouldn’t be?
Well, like the old Conservative slogan said: “If you want a nigger for a neighbour vote Liberal or Labour.”
Why ignore the beams in our own eyes?
http://tinyurl.com/23t7bb
“Teen bride’s ordeal at hands of violent councillor”
“Binish Karamet welcomed Liberal Democrat Imran Abrahim’s guilty verdict for common assault when he was tried at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court.”
“He used to tell me I am a councillor I can cut you up and feed you to the dogs’ and I believed him,” she said.”
“”I am disappointed he is a councillor because he can help make the lives of others better, but he beat me and made mine hell.”
Why is this man still a Lib Dem councillor?
He’s not. The whip was withdrawn when he was accused:
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1853478.mostviewed.waltham_forest_lib_dems_remove_whip_from_accused_councillor.php
Although I don’t know why we didn’t just force him to stand down and *then* chuck him out of the party – can that be done? Am ignorant of the technical position. Surely he’ll have to stand down now though.
“Although I don’t know why we didn’t just force him to stand down”
There isn’t any way a party can force a councillor to stand down. The most they can do is throw them out of the group and party. The party guidelines are that were someone is charged with a criminal offence they are automatically suspended from the group.
If he’s sentenced to more than 3 months then he will automatically be disqualified but the sentence probably won’t be of that level. In that case the only way to remove him from office would be through the Standards Board.
Thank you, helpdesk! I notice his councillor’s page still identifies him as a Liberal Democrat – is that permissible? Seems a bit unfair on us.
THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY DOES NOT HELP ITS COURSE BY NOT INCLUDING BLACK PEOPLE IN THE PARTY’S WALK ABOUT.I HAVE NOT SEEN A BLACK PERSON IN THE ENTOURAGE OF DAVID CAMERON, BOB BLACKMAN OR BORIS JOHNSON,AT BEST THEY WILL HAVE A BROWN PERSON BEHIND THEM AND NOT A BLACK,BLACK PERSON.TO ME, CONSERVATIVE IS A QUESTION OF VALUES WHICH COMES FROM WITHIN AND NOT OUTSIDE WHICH MEANS COLOUR IS IRRELEVANT.I AM BLACK, WOMAN AND CONSERVATIVE!
This is hardly Bob Blackman’s fault- it’s the security men who should be reprimanded for doing this.
Don’t try and skew the facts.
“jim Says:
3rd April 2008 at 11:08 am
Why ignore the beams in our own eyes?
http://tinyurl.com/23t7bb
“Teen bride’s ordeal at hands of violent councillor”
“Binish Karamet welcomed Liberal Democrat Imran Abrahim’s guilty verdict for common assault when he was tried at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court.”
“He used to tell me I am a councillor I can cut you up and feed you to the dogs’ and I believed him,” she said.”
“”I am disappointed he is a councillor because he can help make the lives of others better, but he beat me and made mine hell.”
Why is this man still a Lib Dem councillor?”
He isn’t. He has, quite properly, resigned.