Sunday, April 30, 2023
Racism and the Tory Party
Back from seven days in the sun to typical Welsh rainy weather and an exceptional by-election result in Swansea's Penderry Ward, where the Liberal Democrat candidate came from nowhere to gain a second place with 30% of the vote in Labour's safest seat. The looming local elections in England offer far more prospect for excitement than the rather antiquated and eccentric crowning of the King the following Saturday, but nevertheless we will endure both.
Other things that have not changed is the Tory Party's continual flirtation with racism. The Observer reports that five Conservative councillors standing for the party in this week’s local elections in England, have been suspended for alleged racism and Islamophobia in recent years – including one who suggested banning mosques and another who accused Muslims of being on a “quest to turn the world Muslim”.
The paper says that these five are among 13 councillors identified by the Observer, drawing on research by the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate, who have been suspended over racist comments and social media posts in the past four years before being reinstated:
Among the five standing again is Danny Scott in Blackpool. He was one of 25 former and sitting Conservative councillors accused of making offensive comments online named in a 2019 dossier released by an anonymous Twitter account. Scott posted on Facebook at least two years earlier that “Muslims have been terrorising anyone who isn’t Muslim for 1,000 [years],” and that “it is their quest to turn the world Muslim”.
Scott was subsequently suspended from the party, but he has since been reinstated and is listed as the Tory candidate for his council ward at this week’s election.
The dossier also revealed Beverley Dunlop, a councillor in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, commented on Facebook that “Until [Muslims] are more frightened of the British government (because they and their families might get deported) than they are Isis nothing will change”, and separately posted, “I hate to ban anything really but I’d suggest we start with mosques!”.
After the dossier was published, the Conservatives said they had suspended anyone who was a party member, but Dunlop, who was suspended in 2019, is listed as the Tory candidate in her ward for the ballot on 4 May.
Three others are running again. Portsmouth councillor Lee Mason was suspended in 2020 after a leaked photo from his Snapchat account showed a hot cross bun with what seemed to be a swastika baked on it.
Robin Popley, a councillor in Charnwood, Leicestershire, was suspended in 2019 after describing Enoch Powell as “the greatest prime minister we never had”. Ian Stokes, a councillor in South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, was suspended in 2021 after using a phrase about there being an N-word “in the woodpile” at a meeting. He subsequently apologised, had diversity training, and his membership was restored.
The question of course is whether the Tories are serious about tackling racism in the first place. When there are senior cabinet members continually making controversial statements about race and stereotyping certain sections of society, it would not be unreasonable to draw the conclusion that racism is hard-baked into the Tory Party's psyche.
Other things that have not changed is the Tory Party's continual flirtation with racism. The Observer reports that five Conservative councillors standing for the party in this week’s local elections in England, have been suspended for alleged racism and Islamophobia in recent years – including one who suggested banning mosques and another who accused Muslims of being on a “quest to turn the world Muslim”.
The paper says that these five are among 13 councillors identified by the Observer, drawing on research by the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate, who have been suspended over racist comments and social media posts in the past four years before being reinstated:
Among the five standing again is Danny Scott in Blackpool. He was one of 25 former and sitting Conservative councillors accused of making offensive comments online named in a 2019 dossier released by an anonymous Twitter account. Scott posted on Facebook at least two years earlier that “Muslims have been terrorising anyone who isn’t Muslim for 1,000 [years],” and that “it is their quest to turn the world Muslim”.
Scott was subsequently suspended from the party, but he has since been reinstated and is listed as the Tory candidate for his council ward at this week’s election.
The dossier also revealed Beverley Dunlop, a councillor in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, commented on Facebook that “Until [Muslims] are more frightened of the British government (because they and their families might get deported) than they are Isis nothing will change”, and separately posted, “I hate to ban anything really but I’d suggest we start with mosques!”.
After the dossier was published, the Conservatives said they had suspended anyone who was a party member, but Dunlop, who was suspended in 2019, is listed as the Tory candidate in her ward for the ballot on 4 May.
Three others are running again. Portsmouth councillor Lee Mason was suspended in 2020 after a leaked photo from his Snapchat account showed a hot cross bun with what seemed to be a swastika baked on it.
Robin Popley, a councillor in Charnwood, Leicestershire, was suspended in 2019 after describing Enoch Powell as “the greatest prime minister we never had”. Ian Stokes, a councillor in South Kesteven, Lincolnshire, was suspended in 2021 after using a phrase about there being an N-word “in the woodpile” at a meeting. He subsequently apologised, had diversity training, and his membership was restored.
The question of course is whether the Tories are serious about tackling racism in the first place. When there are senior cabinet members continually making controversial statements about race and stereotyping certain sections of society, it would not be unreasonable to draw the conclusion that racism is hard-baked into the Tory Party's psyche.
