Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tories in new airbrushing row
Today's Observer has an article that suggests that Cameron's new Conservative Party may after all be as skin deep as many of us have claimed in the last few years.
The paper refers to accusations that the Conservatives have been "pandering to prejudice" by omitting pictures of their non-white election candidates from campaign literature in areas where they are fighting the BNP:
Claims by the Tory leader, David Cameron, to be promoting ethnic diversity were called into question after an entire series of campaign calendars issued in east London – the front line of the fight against the BNP – contained only photographs of their white candidates.
The Conservatives denied that the move amounted to deliberate "airbrushing" of ethnic minority candidates. They insisted that the lack of photographs of their non-white candidates on all campaign calendars dropped through letter boxes was because their list of candidates had not been completed when the material was published. But they could not explain why the names of the non-white candidates, and their phone numbers, did appear, suggesting they had already been signed up to campaign for seats on Barking and Dagenham council. When contacted by the Observer, one Tory council candidate, Wale Oguntona, who is of Nigerian descent, said: "I have been told that all inquiries have to be handled by Simon Jones [the parliamentary candidate]."
On Saturday night Simon Woolley, the national co-ordinator and founder of Operation Black Vote, which campaigns to promote black people in politics, said: "There is a clear intent from the Conservative party to airbrush its candidates out of these leaflets. It is extremely disappointing, given that the Conservative leadership recognises the power of the black vote. This is pandering to prejudice. You can either confront race hatred or pander to it, as they are doing by having only white faces on their material."
In other news bears are still defecating in the woods, whilst the Pope remains a Catholic, though in deep trouble himself over the failure of his church to act on child abusers amongst its clergy.
The paper refers to accusations that the Conservatives have been "pandering to prejudice" by omitting pictures of their non-white election candidates from campaign literature in areas where they are fighting the BNP:
Claims by the Tory leader, David Cameron, to be promoting ethnic diversity were called into question after an entire series of campaign calendars issued in east London – the front line of the fight against the BNP – contained only photographs of their white candidates.
The Conservatives denied that the move amounted to deliberate "airbrushing" of ethnic minority candidates. They insisted that the lack of photographs of their non-white candidates on all campaign calendars dropped through letter boxes was because their list of candidates had not been completed when the material was published. But they could not explain why the names of the non-white candidates, and their phone numbers, did appear, suggesting they had already been signed up to campaign for seats on Barking and Dagenham council. When contacted by the Observer, one Tory council candidate, Wale Oguntona, who is of Nigerian descent, said: "I have been told that all inquiries have to be handled by Simon Jones [the parliamentary candidate]."
On Saturday night Simon Woolley, the national co-ordinator and founder of Operation Black Vote, which campaigns to promote black people in politics, said: "There is a clear intent from the Conservative party to airbrush its candidates out of these leaflets. It is extremely disappointing, given that the Conservative leadership recognises the power of the black vote. This is pandering to prejudice. You can either confront race hatred or pander to it, as they are doing by having only white faces on their material."
In other news bears are still defecating in the woods, whilst the Pope remains a Catholic, though in deep trouble himself over the failure of his church to act on child abusers amongst its clergy.
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I spoke to Simon Jones, Conservative party candidate for Dagenham & Rainham today.
I understand why other candidates may want to overly complicate their leaflet designs, constantly altering the design to squeeze the last vote out of a ward demographic, and mess up their deadlines with the printers.
(Not for me but I understand)
I also see how just causes like ‘anti-Racism’ can be used by one politicians supporters as a smoke screen to attack their opponents.
For what its worth I believe Simon’s side of the story, I am against him because he is a Tory, but in my opinion the man is not even close to being a racist.
I want no part of this smear against him.
I invite the other candidates for Dagenham & Rainham, who know him better than I do, to say the same.
Regards
Gordon Kennedy
Independent PPC
Dagenham & Rainham
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I understand why other candidates may want to overly complicate their leaflet designs, constantly altering the design to squeeze the last vote out of a ward demographic, and mess up their deadlines with the printers.
(Not for me but I understand)
I also see how just causes like ‘anti-Racism’ can be used by one politicians supporters as a smoke screen to attack their opponents.
For what its worth I believe Simon’s side of the story, I am against him because he is a Tory, but in my opinion the man is not even close to being a racist.
I want no part of this smear against him.
I invite the other candidates for Dagenham & Rainham, who know him better than I do, to say the same.
Regards
Gordon Kennedy
Independent PPC
Dagenham & Rainham
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