10 News: Labour party conference October 4, 2013 • www.easterneye.eu • Like us on www.facebook.com/easterneye Minority report by MPs ‘DON’T TAKE ETHNIC VOTES FOR GRANTED’ by IMRAN CHOUDHURY SENIOR Labour politicians have urged black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) members to stand as candidates in future elections as they called for the party to be more representative of its supporters. Among the ethnic minority MPs, 15 are from Labour while the ruling Con- servative party has 11. Together they make up just four per cent of the House of Commons. At a fringe event at the Labour party conference in Brighton last week, MPs Keith Vaz, Sadiq Khan and Chukka Umunna ad- dressed an audience compris- ing prospective parliamentary candidates (PPC), council candi- dates and members. Shadow justice secretary and Tooting MP Khan said: “Those of you who aren’t yet council candidates for your constituency or candidates for Europe- an parliamentary seats, why, why aren’t you? Be- cause there is no monopoly on talent.” Khan, who earlier this year was named shadow minister for London and has recently spoken of his intention to run for London mayor in 2016, has the audience that the Labour party people like us in parliament, in your coun- Umunna said he understood how important been tasked by party leader Ed Miliband with win- will not be taking the ethnic vote for cil chamber, in your assembly, then mentoring was for aspiring Labour members, and ning seats in London over the next 18 months in granted. He added that “nobody is enti- turn up and select the people in the paid tribute to influential party colleagues such as local, European and Westminster elections. tled to power” and it “must be earned”. selection meetings, turn up on Khan, Jennette Arnold and Dawn Butler for helping Likening racial imbalances in politics to gender He said: “The message coming from our time and be organised, be- him get into parliament. inequalities in jobs between male and females, communities and ethnic publications, on- cause there are too many “They told me what I need to do to win your se- Khan said: “Angela Regal was the first female MP line and print, as we are coming into these elec- people who aren’t. lection. They have been through it in different ways who was openly gay. tions is, ‘don’t take your community for grant- “We have various and I don’t think you can underestimate that.” “She has now become chairman of the Labour ed’. They are testing us and they are quite elections coming Vaz, MP for Leicester East and chair of the home Party National Executive Committee. She did a re- right to do so. And we have got to make sure up – the local (gov- affairs select committee, said it was hard for MPs to port where she found that if a man sees a job but he they understand we don’t take the vote for ernment), the Eu- endorse every single candidate. “Sometimes we has only got 20 per cent of the skill set to do it, he’ll granted, because nobody is entitled to power.” ropean (parlia- can’t endorse every single person, because there apply for it, because we’re the blaggers. Umunna, a first-time MP, asked party ment) and the will be positions like in Brent where there are many “But women will only apply for a job if they have members to do more and help select the year after that, candidates we know, all who want our endorse- got at least 80 per cent of the skill sets for the job. right candidate for local government and we have the gen- ment. The very least we can do is advise them to “Well, I think there is a version of that within general elections. eral election. make sure we can increase representation.” BAMEs, actually. I think, we think we can’t do it He said: “Don’t complain about people And if we are Vaz, who sits on the Labour National Executive because we’re not good at blagging. I’m not saying not being selected if you don’t turn up to the serious ab out Committee (NEC) which picks PPCs, said BAME we become good blaggers. I’m selection meetings to vote for them. continuing to representation was improving. He referred to Tulip saying get the skills, get the tal- “I am fed up with people complaining and be the people Siddiq who was recently chosen as the PPC for ent and get the mentoring you then finding out that people don’t turn up to who make that Hampstead and Kilburn. need to get up to that quality. the selection meetings. If you want to have dream hap- He also recalled a phone call with Ed Miliband “If we can make our more people breaking the pen, we have when he became the party leader. party as diverse and mould, and see got to make “I rang him up and asked, ‘Do you know you got representative as tho- sure we’ve got six BME people sitting on the front bench?’ He se who vote for us, we POLL STRATEGY: more people from said, ‘Actually, no, I didn’t, I just appointed them on are going to do well in 2015.” Chukka Umunna our diverse com- merit.’ Those wonderful words. Umunna, MP for Streatham and and (above left) munities standing “There’s so many of us now so we can be ap- the shadow business secretary, told Sadiq Khan for office.” pointed on merit.” ‘It’s not true that young people are not interested in politics’ ONLY the most hardcore Labour ladeshi in the House of Commons, if opening day and and described it as supporters would have been willing to she should become a prospective par- her best moment. pay up to £653 (which can pay for a liamentary candidate (PPC). “I spoke about the rights of disability week in Barbados) to get a pass for the Palmer revealed that Ali’s advice was workers; that was a huge privilege. party’s annual conference in Brighton. “not to jump the boat and take it easy “I did it when I was quite young, The delegates, numbering in their in the beginning”. when I came out of university – but ad- hundreds, were either the veteran sup- The politician said: “You’ll want to dressing the conference as a parlia- porters or fresh-faced young people learn what the whole process is about, mentary candidate, (I know) that more aspiring to become councillors or MPs. so become a councillor first.” people watch it and I could see there Among them was Janvier Palmer, a Ali told EE that conferences were a were expectations for me to become 28-year-old aspiring MP from Orping- great way to meet young supporters. an MP in 2015,” she said. ton in southeast London, who said she “It’s really important that once a saves up all year for her main “holiday” year people have the opportunity to Another aspiring Labour member was – at the conference. exchange and share ideas. 21-year-old Mete Coban, a political sci- “This is my fourth conference and I “People like Janvier are brilliant ac- ence student at the University of Green- have made a lot of friends here; it’s a tivists and she helped me to get elect- PLANS: (From left) Janvier Palmer, Tulip Siddiq and Mete Coban wich. Coban, who comes from a Turk- good place to meet like-minded peo- ed. She’s only 28 and she got involved Rumour has it that Tulip Siddiq, a tions of Siddiq succeeding in the politi- ish background, said it was important ple,” she said, adding: “It’s a holiday for in her early 20s. Anyone who says councillor and a prospective parlia- cal arena are high. to represent his community in politics. political geeks.” young people aren’t interested in poli- mentary candidate for Hampstead and Acknowledging the pressure, Siddiq, He said he hoped to become a local Palmer, as it turns out, helped in the tics – it’s not true. Kilburn, has been decribed by some of who has been to the conference eight councillor in Hackney and was proud campaign to get Rushanara Ali, MP for “The way people get involved is her colleagues as “small but fiery”. times so far, said: “Coming back here of being the youngest candidate. Bethnal Green and Bow, and shadow when they see political parties care As the niece of Bangladesh’s prime as a parliamentary candidate is a dif- “I’ve had a lot of support from cur- minister for international develop- about their life and they can speak to minister Sheikh Hasina and the grand- ferent experience – the main thing I rent MPs and shadow cabinet minis- ment, elected in the 2010 election. them about the concerns and interests daughter of that country’s founding fa- felt is expectation and anticipation.” ters. They have all said they will cam- She asked Ali, the only British Bang- to their lives.” ther, Sheik Mujibur Rahman, expecta- She addressed the conference on the paign for me” he said..