Same old Tories, same old dogwhistle politics
In one day we get two examples of the Tory Party really being pretty much unchanged from the anti-immigration/anti-Europe nastiness of the Michael Howard era beneath the Cameroon "nice party" veneer:
One of Boris Johnson's advisers quits after this exchange with anti-racism campaigner Marc Wadsworth: ""I pointed out to him a critical comment of Voice columnist Darcus Howe that the election of 'Boris Johnson, a right-wing Conservative, might just trigger off a mass exodus of older Caribbean migrants back to our homelands'.
"He retorted: 'Well, let them go if they don't like it here.' "
And the Tory PPC for North Ayrshire and Arran names Rhodesian white supremacist leader Ian Smith as his political hero. He also said that Enoch Powell's far-right warnings about immigration had "in a small way come true". He went on to describe Sir Edward Heath as "a rat".
These are not obscure local activists, but a parliamentary candidate and a full-time adviser to the Mayor of London.
posted by Luke Akehurst at 11:56 pm
11 Comments:
Livingstone made anti-semitic comments and accused Trevor Philips of being about to join the BNP - you campaigned for him and by your arguement must therefore agree with him.
12:17 am, June 23, 2008
McGrath can't be allowed to get away with that contemptuous and ill-considered language.
Let's also remind ourselves that Howe's a bigoted old fool who appears to be skating on pretty thin ice himself, when it comes to racism: for introducing the 'repatriation' theme in the first place, and for implying that particular races have any inherent political affiliation. The politics of race is an utter dead-end, as he ought to know very well by now.
12:40 am, June 23, 2008
I agree with the above comment - in light of what Darcus Howe was actually saying, the Tory boy's response does not seem very racist at all. But it's definitely ill-considered language.
9:50 am, June 23, 2008
Now prabably isn't the best time to be having a pop at Ian Smith.
Sad to say, but Zimbabweans of all races were better off under his rule than they are today.
It's a damning indictment of three decades of Mugabe misrule. The sooner he's got rid of, by whatever means, the better.
2:55 pm, June 23, 2008
I think it was daft for McGrath to quit, if you don't like somewhere because of x,y,z reason then you stop going there. Hardly like he shouted frothing at the mouth "Dem Old coons should go then." Is it? No, he said "If they don't like it, LET THEM." as in let them make up their own damn minds for a change.
Also, with the Party activist, he is sadly correct, and it's always the people we try to demonize for their out-right comments we see at the time as "wrong" who are ultimately proven right.
I don't doubt at all that there's racial tensions simmering underneath all of the reckless lack of migration policy purportrated since the end of the Major Era and exacerbated throughout the Blair/Brown era.
Perhaps one should also consider around 80% of people polled by the BBC under the question "Was Enoch Powell right?" Said YES.
I also recall Ian Smith saying that a Black Majority Government under Mugabe would be disastrous, lets review that shall we?
Rhodesia Under Ian Smith and Abel Muzorewa = Bread Basket of Africa, regularly exporting food to other states around Africa along with it's mineral resources. Blacks didn't have all rights, but Ian Smith argued that the riches and rights would trickle down to the Black Majority "Eventually" by sheer force of economics, and with it would come more political power.
I.E a progressive change from White Minority Rule to Black Majority Rule, by which time the population would be more "mature" to the idea of self-government.
Zimbabwe under Mugabe = 20,000 people killed in a genocide, agricultural collapse, economic collapse with inflation running at 15,000%. Basket Case of Africa now reliant on food aid from other African States. Repressive regime that regularly kills and beats up political opponents and now a delusional god-bothering leader claiming only God will remove him from power.
4:52 pm, June 23, 2008
Just because Robert Mugabe is a power-crazed, megalomaniac loon is no reason to pretend ian Smith was any sort of ideal!
Zimbabwe has voted for a new leader - Morgan Tsangvarai - and we should be backing him not harking back to the days of Rhodesia.
4:56 pm, June 23, 2008
As you know full well, McGrath made no racist comment, instead he fell into a quite obvious elephant trap laid for him by yet another of the Ken hangers-on embittered that this or that obscure campaigning sect has had its funding stopped now the Great Panjandrum's gone, and eager to prove amongst his fellow luvvies that "I'm more anti-racist than you".
It was a well-done operation by Wadsworth, though perhaps it's easier with a bluff "I tells it like it is mate" Aussie. Round 1 then to the Guardianista Hoxtonites and their whining sanctimoniousness. Well done. I look forward to Boris coming back stronger.
7:51 pm, June 23, 2008
David Cameron clearly doesn't agree with you, whoever you are, 'anonymous'....
8:46 pm, June 23, 2008
Yes, but then again he doesn't agree with most grassroot Tory members either. The question is - can he drag them into the 21st century? Judging by these two anecdotes, he can't.
9:22 pm, June 23, 2008
Tim: what I think it shows are deep divisions within the Tory party.
9:45 pm, June 23, 2008
How boring, they always bring out the race card when they start to struggle. Very sad if someone can't talk without being accused of being a racist. Unfortunately people are sick of this liberal nonsense and we don't buy it.
It's gone full circle luke, at one point people wouldn't talk about immigration because of the fear of being attacked by liberal nut bags. People are not scared of the racist brush anymore, hence why 10% of British people vote for the BNP.
Year by year the BNP grow stronger and stronger getting more votes and are probably two years off from getting a seat in parliament.
10:51 pm, June 23, 2008
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