Author Topic: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....  (Read 72161 times)

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Offline faithlilly

Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« on: February 03, 2020, 11:28:28 AM »
And what do they need to do to tackle it ?

https://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2019/12/02/the-tory-racism-problem-is-as-severe-as-labour-s

As a Jewish person who supports the Labour party, it's fair to say that last week was not fun.

The Chief Rabbi's condemnation of Labour was a depressing moment. Jeremy Corbyn's failure to apologise on television for the hurt caused to the Jewish community was intensely frustrating. But for me the nadir came in a tweet from Michael Gove.

He was responding to the historian Sir Richard Evans, who had written that he was planning to vote Labour. With his characteristic pious charm, Gove pronounced: "History teaches us where a failure to stand up to anti-semitism leads – which is why it is all the sadder to see this historian of the twentieth century fail to heed its lessons."

Never mind that Evans has spent his career explaining the rise of Nazism and helped demolish the reputation of a prominent Holocaust denier. Never mind that during the referendum campaign Gove compared pro-EU experts to Nazi scientists. Here was a Cabinet minister, standing on an overtly xenophobic and nationalistic election platform, daring to lecture us about the dangers of racism and implicitly likening the threat of Corbyn to that of Adolf Hitler.

There is a real crisis of anti-semitism in this country, across the political spectrum. It has in recent years taken root in a fringe of the left. The Labour party dismally failed in its early response. But under no circumstances will a party that has promoted racist exclusionary politics all my life presume to speak for me or defend my interests.

Perhaps we should remind ourselves about the credentials of our new 'anti-racist' party. In the last ten years, the Conservative government unveiled the hostile environment, which systematically dehumanised immigrants, split up families and overwhelmingly discriminated against non-white people. That government dispatched the famously friendly 'Go Home' vans. Under Theresa May's watch, black Britons were denied medical treatment or deported in the Windrush scandal. And the drum-beat of English nationalism reached a crescendo as Gove and Boris Johnson deliberately terrified voters during the referendum campaign with the fake prospect of 76 million Turks imminently arriving in Britain through an open door.

In this election campaign, the health secretary has already dog-whistled about the 'International Health Service' in reference to an imaginary problem about foreign users of the NHS. Last week a Tory press release described the "strain" placed on schools by children from the EU "increasing the demand for places". In both cases the party has explicitly aped the language of the far right.

But of course the Tories have form when it comes to election campaigns. We have already forgotten Zac Goldsmith's scorched-earth pursuit of the London mayoralty in 2016, which advised voters with Indian-sounding surnames that Sadiq Khan was planning a tax on family heirlooms, labelled his Muslim opponent with the coded word "radical", and culminated with a Goldsmith op-ed in the Daily Mail painting Khan as a friend of terrorists and illustrated by the bus blown up on 7/7. Johnson, incidentally, joined that campaign wholeheartedly and himself wrote that Khan was "pandering to extremists".

Funnily enough, there was also a prominent politician of Jewish origin who fell victim to coded right-wing smears. The Tory machine was never so crass to shout about Ed Miliband's ethnicity, but the constant pictures of the bacon sandwich, references to 'north London', and, worst of all, the declaration by then-Cabinet minister Michael Fallon that "Ed Miliband stabbed his own brother in the back to become Labour leader" and was now "willing to stab the United Kingdom in the back to become prime minister" did the job well enough.

Fallon's remark invoked the notorious 'stab in the back' myth from the Weimar Republic and recalled the anti-semitic trope about Jews' supposed lack of loyalty to their adopted countries. It neatly echoed the Daily Mail's earlier assault on Miliband's father Ralph, a war hero and refugee from the Nazis, as a man who "hated Britain".

The Conservatives have been perfectly comfortable with anti-semites for years. As recently as Thursday, Theresa May unveiled a statue of the notorious anti-semite Nancy Astor, who proposed that Hitler might solve the "world problem" of Jews. The Tories have proved cheerleaders in the European parliament for Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, who propelled the anti-semitic abuse against George Soros into its own category of electioneering.

Then, of course, there is the Conservative party's endemic Islamophobia. This does not simply relate to parliamentary candidates, but also the membership. A YouGov poll in June found that 40% of members wanted to place limits on the number of Muslims permitted to enter the country, and 43% would object to a Muslim prime minister.

This problem attracts a distinct double standard. Imagine if a senior Labour figure had ridiculed orthodox Jewish attire, or if a shadow Cabinet minister had told Margaret Hodge to take a more "balanced" approach to [ censored word]emitism, as Matt Hancock advised Baroness Warsi regarding Islamophobia. Last Tuesday the prime minister helpfully declared that anyone in the party "done for Islamophobia" would be "out first bounce". Sadly the man who likened women wearing the burka to letter-boxes and bank robbers remains the party's leader.

This election is not just dragging in Jews and Muslims. The Conservatives are additionally managing to persuade Hindus that Labour is anti-Indian, following Labour's conference motion condemning the Indian government's recent actions in Kashmir. No matter that ministers have described this as an "international issue" and expressed their concerns with Indian counterparts. Communities must be pitched against one another. Ethnicity must be weaponised. People must be scared, divided and ruled.

This is not about which racism is worse, but which electoral path will do the most to tackle it. A party which opportunistically instrumentalises racism, and uses the anguish of the Jewish community to cleanse both its past record and current platform, will never be a champion of tolerant or progressive politics. It will throw any number of people under the bus to secure victory.

We need to talk about the [ censored word]emitism problem in the Labour party. But let it never be said the Tories don't care about racism. They literally depend on it.

Jonathan Lis is deputy director of the pro-EU think tank British Influence and a political writer and commentator.



Brietta posted on 10/04/2022 “But whether or not that is the reason behind the delay I am certain that Brueckner's trial is going to take place.”

Let’s count the months, shall we?

Offline faithlilly

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2020, 03:12:13 PM »
https://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/youngreporter/18072524.tories-institutionally-racist/

Are the Tories institutionally racist?

   

Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party have come under fire for fostering Islamophobia and turning a blind eye to racism? But to what extent is this accurate?

Although the problem of racism within the Conservative Party hasn’t been addressed as much within the mainstream media, compared to the problem of many prominent left-wing political pundits such as Owen Jones and Ash Sarkar the problems of racism and Islamophobia within the Conservative Party and the failure of the party to address it. But is racism a widespread problem within the Tory Party, and if so, what needs to be done to this, should it exist?


In addition to the complaints of Conservative Party MPs such as Derek Laud and Andrew have freely admitted there is ‘endemic racism’ within the party, Sayeeda Warsi, a former party chair and prominent Tory figure, admitted she could not encourage Muslims to join the party, arguing that racism and Islamophobia ran through the ‘top’ of the Party. Since being voted in by Conservative party members during the leadership elections earlier this year, Boris Johnson has been widely criticised over a number of insensitive comments made towards minorities prior to becoming elected, with him coming under fire for comparing gay marriage to sex between ‘three dogs and a man’, claiming that ‘the poorest 20% of British society’ is comprised of "chavs," "losers," "burglars," "drug addicts," and "criminals in an unearthed 2005 column, dismissing workers as ‘drunk, criminal and feckless’, referring to disabled people as ‘spasos’, referring to those devastated by the atrocities of Hillsborough as ‘wallowing in self pity’, describing gay people as ‘tank-topped bumboys’, in addition to a sleu of racially problematic comments made during his time as editor of the Spectator and Mayor of London. Indeed, Boris has been quoted as believing that believing a return to imperialism would be best for Africa, in addition to joking about clearing away dead bodies in Libya, but also describing black people as ‘ with watermelon smiles’, stating in the Spectator that ‘black people broadly have lower IQs’. Furthermore, left-wing political commentators such as Owen Jones have noted the correlation between his incendiary rhetoric towards the Muslim community (likening Muslim women to ‘ and ‘bank-robbers’ for exercising their right to wear a religious garment and arguing Islam has caused the Muslim world to be “literally centuries behind” the west) and the 375% spike in hate crime. Whilst Boris Johnson has defended these remarks as being ‘satirical’ and stating that some of these remarks have been ‘misquoted’, this rhetoric does arguably cast some doubt over whether the Conservative Party suffers to some extent from institutional racism, especially when leading right-wing figures are commenting on supposed problems with and racism.


That said, it would be reductive to simply look at Boris Johnson, the leader of the Conservatives when investigating if there really is a scourge of endemic racism within the Tory Party. Indeed, former leader Theresa May also came under fire for being quoted as saying that ‘the aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants", along with the ‘go home’ vans’ and black British citizens being deported and denied jobs, homes and hospital treatment due to the Windrush scandal. Furthermore, amongst local Tory members and councillors, there has also been a history of racist tropes being peddled, without being duly addressed or reprimanded. In 2009, Bolton Councillor Bob Allen posted a picture of a gorilla next to comments about a colleague, and yet he still remains a Tory councillor to this day, which does raise questions even from an independent perspective. Furthermore, when Tory Councillor complained about the number of Pakistani immigrants in his town (albeit with coarser language), the council’s Leader, Tony Bennett complained that calls for Benson to step down were ‘too harsh’, which also flags up questions as to whether the Tories are doing enough to stamp out the grave threat of racism. Similarly, in 2015, back when Gavin Barwell was an MP the Croydon Conservatives failed to for, or take disciplinary action over, the racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic tweets of Anne Piles, a member of their executive committee.  60% of Conservative Party members think Islam is a threat to and 15 Conservative councillors were quietly reinstated following being suspended for Islamophobia, most notably David to Islam as ‘the religion of rape’ and yet still he wasn’t duly punished by the Tories.

That said, Boris Johnson’s current Conservative cabinet is amongst the most diverse it has ever been and it would be remiss of me to broadly dismiss the Tory Party as a racist based on specific cases. Whilst the issue of whether the Tory Party en suffers from a trend of institutional racism is nebulous and for you to try and decipher, it is clear that leaders such as Boris Johnson and Theresa May need to be more careful with their rhetoric to ensure they don’t inadvertently foster within their party.

Brietta posted on 10/04/2022 “But whether or not that is the reason behind the delay I am certain that Brueckner's trial is going to take place.”

Let’s count the months, shall we?

Offline Miss Taken Identity

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2020, 04:07:27 PM »
https://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/youngreporter/18072524.tories-institutionally-racist/

Are the Tories institutionally racist?

   

Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party have come under fire for fostering Islamophobia and turning a blind eye to racism? But to what extent is this accurate?

Although the problem of racism within the Conservative Party hasn’t been addressed as much within the mainstream media, compared to the problem of many prominent left-wing political pundits such as Owen Jones and Ash Sarkar the problems of racism and Islamophobia within the Conservative Party and the failure of the party to address it. But is racism a widespread problem within the Tory Party, and if so, what needs to be done to this, should it exist?


In addition to the complaints of Conservative Party MPs such as Derek Laud and Andrew have freely admitted there is ‘endemic racism’ within the party, Sayeeda Warsi, a former party chair and prominent Tory figure, admitted she could not encourage Muslims to join the party, arguing that racism and Islamophobia ran through the ‘top’ of the Party. Since being voted in by Conservative party members during the leadership elections earlier this year, Boris Johnson has been widely criticised over a number of insensitive comments made towards minorities prior to becoming elected, with him coming under fire for comparing gay marriage to sex between ‘three dogs and a man’, claiming that ‘the poorest 20% of British society’ is comprised of "chavs," "losers," "burglars," "drug addicts," and "criminals in an unearthed 2005 column, dismissing workers as ‘drunk, criminal and feckless’, referring to disabled people as ‘spasos’, referring to those devastated by the atrocities of Hillsborough as ‘wallowing in self pity’, describing gay people as ‘tank-topped bumboys’, in addition to a sleu of racially problematic comments made during his time as editor of the Spectator and Mayor of London. Indeed, Boris has been quoted as believing that believing a return to imperialism would be best for Africa, in addition to joking about clearing away dead bodies in Libya, but also describing black people as ‘ with watermelon smiles’, stating in the Spectator that ‘black people broadly have lower IQs’. Furthermore, left-wing political commentators such as Owen Jones have noted the correlation between his incendiary rhetoric towards the Muslim community (likening Muslim women to ‘ and ‘bank-robbers’ for exercising their right to wear a religious garment and arguing Islam has caused the Muslim world to be “literally centuries behind” the west) and the 375% spike in hate crime. Whilst Boris Johnson has defended these remarks as being ‘satirical’ and stating that some of these remarks have been ‘misquoted’, this rhetoric does arguably cast some doubt over whether the Conservative Party suffers to some extent from institutional racism, especially when leading right-wing figures are commenting on supposed problems with and racism.


That said, it would be reductive to simply look at Boris Johnson, the leader of the Conservatives when investigating if there really is a scourge of endemic racism within the Tory Party. Indeed, former leader Theresa May also came under fire for being quoted as saying that ‘the aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants", along with the ‘go home’ vans’ and black British citizens being deported and denied jobs, homes and hospital treatment due to the Windrush scandal. Furthermore, amongst local Tory members and councillors, there has also been a history of racist tropes being peddled, without being duly addressed or reprimanded. In 2009, Bolton Councillor Bob Allen posted a picture of a gorilla next to comments about a colleague, and yet he still remains a Tory councillor to this day, which does raise questions even from an independent perspective. Furthermore, when Tory Councillor complained about the number of Pakistani immigrants in his town (albeit with coarser language), the council’s Leader, Tony Bennett complained that calls for Benson to step down were ‘too harsh’, which also flags up questions as to whether the Tories are doing enough to stamp out the grave threat of racism. Similarly, in 2015, back when Gavin Barwell was an MP the Croydon Conservatives failed to for, or take disciplinary action over, the racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic tweets of Anne Piles, a member of their executive committee.  60% of Conservative Party members think Islam is a threat to and 15 Conservative councillors were quietly reinstated following being suspended for Islamophobia, most notably David to Islam as ‘the religion of rape’ and yet still he wasn’t duly punished by the Tories.

That said, Boris Johnson’s current Conservative cabinet is amongst the most diverse it has ever been and it would be remiss of me to broadly dismiss the Tory Party as a racist based on specific cases. Whilst the issue of whether the Tory Party en suffers from a trend of institutional racism is nebulous and for you to try and decipher, it is clear that leaders such as Boris Johnson and Theresa May need to be more careful with their rhetoric to ensure they don’t inadvertently foster within their party.


I find myself taking the racist stance because that is the box in which I am placed by those who feel they are better placed than me to have the correct opinion.

The rise of the  far right is down to the pathetic race card holding of the  minority. People do not want to accept they are the ones causing racial tension and division. The far right picked up that ticket and ran with it because citizens of this country who were affected by illegal immigration en mass had no one to listen to them- due to the race card holders.

There is NOTHING wrong with sending out of our country people who have arrived here illegally. They are  not here on a work permit with A JOB and housing secured for them and their families. The government has a duty to protect the taxpayer from over burdening them to provide housing,health,education and welfare payouts.

They are not impressed by the law breaking which goes on in their communities , again , is seen as racist to challenge this. Millions are spent on legal representatives and court time to allow these people to state a case to stay here and become good citizens. There is no guarantee some/many will be. What do we do then?

At school we studied the slave trade in earlier centuries- Yes, Jews and black African/middle eastern people were slaves for the Egyptians and Roman empires- and latterly know in the Americas and British empire.  The horrors of that stayed with me and always has.

The open borders have been used to keep alive the slave trade: drug runners, sex slaves, working slaves and the silence on these issues is deafening from the race card holders ready to wave it at anyone who dares to highlight any issues regarding illegal immigration.  This makes me a proud racist, because I want it to stop!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7957865/Police-raid-4m-county-lines-cannabis-farm-discover-three-Vietnamese-slaves-locked-inside.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

Just one bit of information- they came on a visitor visa then wanted a job? why not apply for a works visa?

 Martin Luther King a wonderful man of courage and dignity brought about an awareness to injustice- real injustice!
'Never underestimate the power of stupid people'... George Carlin

Offline faithlilly

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2020, 04:23:55 PM »

I find myself taking the racist stance because that is the box in which I am placed by those who feel they are better placed than me to have the correct opinion.

The rise of the  far right is down to the pathetic race card holding of the  minority. People do not want to accept they are the ones causing racial tension and division. The far right picked up that ticket and ran with it because citizens of this country who were affected by illegal immigration en mass had no one to listen to them- due to the race card holders.

There is NOTHING wrong with sending out of our country people who have arrived here illegally. They are  not here on a work permit with A JOB and housing secured for them and their families. The government has a duty to protect the taxpayer from over burdening them to provide housing,health,education and welfare payouts.

They are not impressed by the law breaking which goes on in their communities , again , is seen as racist to challenge this. Millions are spent on legal representatives and court time to allow these people to state a case to stay here and become good citizens. There is no guarantee some/many will be. What do we do then?

At school we studied the slave trade in earlier centuries- Yes, Jews and black African/middle eastern people were slaves for the Egyptians and Roman empires- and latterly know in the Americas and British empire.  The horrors of that stayed with me and always has.

The open borders have been used to keep alive the slave trade: drug runners, sex slaves, working slaves and the silence on these issues is deafening from the race card holders ready to wave it at anyone who dares to highlight any issues regarding illegal immigration.  This makes me a proud racist, because I want it to stop!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7957865/Police-raid-4m-county-lines-cannabis-farm-discover-three-Vietnamese-slaves-locked-inside.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

Just one bit of information- they came on a visitor visa then wanted a job? why not apply for a works visa?

 Martin Luther King a wonderful man of courage and dignity brought about an awareness to injustice- real injustice!

But on the single subject of racism within the Conservative party ?
Brietta posted on 10/04/2022 “But whether or not that is the reason behind the delay I am certain that Brueckner's trial is going to take place.”

Let’s count the months, shall we?

Offline Miss Taken Identity

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2020, 04:47:58 PM »
But on the single subject of racism within the Conservative party ?

Faith, I don't know. There is nothing wrong with not liking people. ALL races and creeds and colours do it.  If there is a law proposed to open up death camps in London to kill Jews/ Muslims / black citizens I would vehemently oppose it- I would take up arms against it- and I hate violence.

Waving the race card at white UK citizens only, is a disgrace and should not be tolerated.

We have to accept the fact that some Indians only marry their cousins some  hate those of a darker skin colour- black people attack and kill white people,  white people attack and kill black people. Some Jews hate Muslims and some muslims hate Jews  some hate anyone who isn't a Muslim!  Then you have those from Africa with their own hate crime against tribes.

They all live in this country no amount of name calling is going to make these people love each other. So best stop trying and making criminals of those who highlight these issues. IMO
'Never underestimate the power of stupid people'... George Carlin

Offline Venturi Swirl

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2020, 05:52:05 PM »
But on the single subject of racism within the Conservative party ?
Now if I’d posted what Miss Taken had posted I would have expected a more robust response from you than that! 
"Surely the fact that their accounts were different reinforces their veracity rather than diminishes it? If they had colluded in protecting ........ surely all of their accounts would be the same?" - Faithlilly

Offline Miss Taken Identity

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2020, 06:23:01 PM »
Now if I’d posted what Miss Taken had posted I would have expected a more robust response from you than that!

Faith was correct I didn't answer the direct question in her post.  I just made it clear that not everyone will play fair and to love each other is an achievable goal for social harmony.

Well, why ask someone else to do your tasks- tell me yourself.

 
'Never underestimate the power of stupid people'... George Carlin

Offline Venturi Swirl

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2020, 06:26:33 PM »
Faith was correct I didn't answer the direct question in her post.  I just made it clear that not everyone will play fair and to love each other is an achievable goal for social harmony.

Well, why ask someone else to do your tasks- tell me yourself.
What do you want to know?
"Surely the fact that their accounts were different reinforces their veracity rather than diminishes it? If they had colluded in protecting ........ surely all of their accounts would be the same?" - Faithlilly

Offline faithlilly

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2020, 06:29:15 PM »
Now if I’d posted what Miss Taken had posted I would have expected a more robust response from you than that!

Then you flatter yourself.
Brietta posted on 10/04/2022 “But whether or not that is the reason behind the delay I am certain that Brueckner's trial is going to take place.”

Let’s count the months, shall we?

Offline Venturi Swirl

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2020, 06:32:25 PM »
Then you flatter yourself.
Quite the opposite.  I figured I was so loathed by yourself that had I expressed what imo appears to be an apology for racism that you would have let me know exactly what you thought of me, perhaps past allegiances are preventing you from doing likewise with the post’s author?
"Surely the fact that their accounts were different reinforces their veracity rather than diminishes it? If they had colluded in protecting ........ surely all of their accounts would be the same?" - Faithlilly

Offline Miss Taken Identity

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2020, 06:58:46 PM »
What do you want to know?

From you? absolutely nothing. I find your posts boring and repetitive and worthless.

I just wondered why you ask Faith  why she has not had a  go at me. Then I remember why you are here. Tsk.

I have not posted any lies. so what's to challenge?


'Never underestimate the power of stupid people'... George Carlin

Offline faithlilly

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2020, 07:02:55 PM »
Quite the opposite.  I figured I was so loathed by yourself that had I expressed what imo appears to be an apology for racism that you would have let me know exactly what you thought of me, perhaps past allegiances are preventing you from doing likewise with the post’s author?

I don’t loath you, I don’t know you.


Brietta posted on 10/04/2022 “But whether or not that is the reason behind the delay I am certain that Brueckner's trial is going to take place.”

Let’s count the months, shall we?

Offline Erngath

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2020, 07:24:32 PM »
From you? absolutely nothing. I find your posts boring and repetitive and worthless.

I just wondered why you ask Faith  why she has not had a  go at me. Then I remember why you are here. Tsk.

I have not posted any lies. so what's to challenge?

Three insults and all false and very unnecessary.
Why do you feel the need to do such posts?
Out of curiousity I do ask why is VS here?
Deal with the failings of others as gently as with your own.

Offline Miss Taken Identity

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2020, 07:39:21 PM »
Three insults and all false and very unnecessary.
Why do you feel the need to do such posts?
Out of curiousity I do ask why is VS here?

I did not insult anyone. Stop trying to cause trouble- I passed comment and opinion on his posts! not the person, unlike you who are very vocal about me and what I am like...

Stop thinking you are special, and above being challenged. I will not pander to your curiosity.
'Never underestimate the power of stupid people'... George Carlin

Offline Erngath

Re: Is The Tory Party Institutionally Racist....
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2020, 07:48:54 PM »
I did not insult anyone. Stop trying to cause trouble- I passed comment and opinion on his posts! not the person, unlike you who are very vocal about me and what I am like...

Stop thinking you are special, and above being challenged. I will not pander to your curiosity.

Fair enough.
If you find VS posts boring and repetitive and worthless, I do find it strange you bother to reply to such boring and repetitive and worthless posts.
I don't think I'm "special" but my family keep telling me I am.
Deal with the failings of others as gently as with your own.