Author Archives: Blaise Baquiche

Blaise Baquiche

A longer read for the lockdown: Why I left the Tories and became a Lib Dem

By Blaise Baquiche | Tue 28th April 2020 - 2:10 pm


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It wasn’t Brexit that made me leave, but a stark realisation that there was something deeply wrong with the Tory party.

I owe my life in Britain to a Tory MP. In 1957, newly elected Keith Joseph was instrumental in persuading the government to grant sanctuary to Jews fleeing Egypt following the Suez crisis, which included my father aged 8.

My grandfather, a 32-year-old dentist at the time, was asked by Egyptian authorities why he was leaving the country. Predicting a surge in hostility towards non-Arabs inspired by President Nasser’s populist speeches, he responded “because you’re allowing me to”.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , , , and | 35 Comments
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