The Independent (and most other ‘papers) have the story:
Two student Tories have been suspended from the party after making racist jokes during a meeting of the Oxford University Conservative Association [OUCA].
At a drunken hustings for the next president of the association – which includes a host of Tory politicians among its alumni – student politicians were invited to outperform each other with racist jokes. A master of ceremonies told them to repeat ‘the most inappropriate joke you have ever told’.
Last Sunday Nick Gallagher, who was running for the post of Political Officer, a role that requires him to liaise with Tory central office, was also asked to name his least favourite minority.
Just hours before the BNP secured two members of the European parliament, Mr Gallagher, who is currently Publications Officer, allegedly said: “What do you say when you see a television moving around in the dark? Drop it nigger or I’ll shoot you!”.
Another student at the meeting reportedly made a joke about a family of black people being lynched.
A source who was at the meeting said: “Everybody laughed their heads off. When one person raised concerns he [Gallagher] said it was ok because it was a joke made by Chris Rock, the American comedian, who is black, which obviously makes it fine. Another made a joke about a black family of three getting lynched. Nobody booed.
“I can’t believe they said things like that. To think that these guys are going to be running the country makes me shudder”.
Mr Gallagher, originally from Philadelphia, USA, admitted that he made the jokes but claimed that he was being quoted out of context. “This was a misunderstanding”, he said. “What I said wasn’t intended that way and it is to my regret that the association [OUCA] has been dragged into this.”
The patron of OUCA is former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher, and Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Tory leader William Hague is honorary president. The late Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath was a president in his student days, and Schools Secretary Ed Balls was also a member, but switched allegiance to Labour after graduating. …
[The story] will come as a fresh blow to the public relations campaign spearheaded by Tory leader David Cameron, who has worked hard to rebrand his party. Mr Cameron was admonished by parts of the Tory Establishment for favouring women and members of ethnic minorities in his controversial ‘A’ List of prospective parliamentary candidates, but insisted it was necessary to show his party was representative of modern Britain.
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14 Comments
I do not under stand how he can say that he was being quoted out of context. What other context could there be for such a ‘joke’?
Students always behave badly. It’s what being a student is all about. This week we had a group of students denying the right to free speech of an elected extremist authoritarian politician just because he is an evil and odious little shit who garnered a million votes. Too my mind denial of Freedom of Speech is a far graver offence than off-colour jokes being told in a supposedly private meeting in a state of alchohol induced bonhomie.
In either case,I would expect the worldly-wise Editor of the Voice to treat idiot outpourings of undergrads for the trivia they are.
Atropos,
No, these were party officers (albeit minor ones) at a party event. The party should show that it is unwilling to be associated with them.
Why do things like this almost always happen to Conservatives?
Because they are racists bigots & xenophobes by nature of course!
“Why do things like this almost always happen to Conservatives?”
I wonder that as well- there seems to be something about CF that drives utter lowlife to join them.
Even the ones who avoid howlers like this generally have a vile attitude.
Sad to say, when I read this I think Mr Cameron has achieved his aim.
Listening to comments on the doorstep this year, and reading the ‘jokes’ above I’m saddened to say that the Conservatives are far more representative of modern britain than we would care to admit….
I do hope commentors have not been inflicted with the disease that is infecting an increasing number of people in the UK – and I’m not talking about Swine Flu.
Nope, I’m talking about Hysteria. So a few lads told a racist joke. Personally it brought a smile to my face, not because I have any dislike towards black people, but because of the stereotype. Just as many sexist jokes about women – and men – make smile.
I have a beard and I’ve heard several jokes linking beards with paedophiles (another area where hysteria is regularly whipped up – paedophilia that is, not beardies :D) but I’m able to cope.
Personally, I think too many peoples’ skins are too thin. Just so long no-one is being smashed in the head for whatever reason, be it because of their colour, religion, sexuality or for just being ‘there’, I agree with freedom of speech and expression – live and let live I say.
Some people might find that result of this freedom unpalatable or even disgusting, but if no-one is harmed directly then that’s fine by me.
Does this Conservative Association have the right to suspend these people? Of course it does, it is a private club with its rulebook after all. But, in doing so it also needs to consider whether or not, or to what extent, it believes in the right to free speech and expression; and whether or not concerning itself with the sensitivities of others warrants undermining basic individual rights.
That is the dilemma of any political organisation that states it defends such rights to free speech on the one hand, but doesn’t wish to be seen to associate itself with bigotry.
You yourself know a fair bit about falling foul of organisations, don’t you Gavin?
This is not the first time I’ve heard of ‘racist jokes’ featuring in student organizations at Oxford- although this is the first time I’ve heard about something like this from the Conservatives.
Hmmm. This tallies rather with a friend’s description of a ‘Port and Policy’ debate at the Oxford University Conservatives over whether to re-occupy Rhodesia. Of course, it was all ‘light hearted banter’, but it shows a slightly bizarre attitude towards politics – which is quite disturbing, because you know that in twenty years time, quite a few of those young men will be in the Cabinet
You should disregard my comment at 4:58. I have a tendency to be a **** without thinking. I wouldn’t want anyone taking it too seriously!
a friend of mine reminded me – “if there’s anything worse than conservatives, it’s young conservatives”
It was out of context because during the hustings the candidates were explicitly asked ‘what is the most offensive joke you know.’ Though the question itself is just plain odd, the answers given were not the expression of personal opinion, but examples of what the candidates thought was offensive, condemning the attitude behind the jokes.
This was a stitch up job unfortunately, it’s amazing to see how far from the reality a story like this can go.
Before anyone gets too carried away with the ‘freedom of speech’ argument, let’s remember that no one is suggesting these people should be locked up, fined, or have any of their civil or democratic rights removed for what they’ve done. The point is that they’re obviously odious little shits, and the Tory party have every right to do what political good sense should tell them to do, i.e. kick them out for bringing the party into disrepute. (Okay, the Tory party was never in repute as far as I’m concerned, but I’m not really their target voter.)