DOCSLIB.ORG

WHO ARE THEY Find Out… You Could Be One of ‘Them’

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
WHO ARE THEY Find Out… You Could Be One of ‘Them’ ISSUE 3 SUMMER 2008 www.obv.org.uk OPERATION BLACK VOTE THE HOME OF BLACK POLITICS WHO ARE THEY Find out… you could be one of ‘them’ ADVICE OBAMA: SUMMER FOR MAYOR THE FIRST FAITH FEST JOHNSON BLACK US Mela mania “There are those PRESIDENT and more who want to say EXCLUSIVE! ‘told you so’” THE OXBRIDGE ‘PASSPORT’: SHOULD BLACK STUDENTS APPLY? (%1%!0#( CONTENTS 04 NEWS FROM OBV &.02(%1 Editor’s Plus a note from the director !0!#*"!,! 09 PARTY POLITICAL BROADCAST London’s new Mayor faces some (301$!63+6 !2 /, daunting challenges. How should 2(%!02.-)++%22+%,%-2 Note he approach them – and what 3#)%.!$!02.-)++0)12.+ are his chances of success? Helpful advice:Sadly, race was used as a weapon in May’s mayoral elections, and with EQUALITY: London growing in cultural diversity let us hope 12 that differences are celebrated rather than used as a DEGREE OF CHANGE divisive political tool. Mayor Johnson has pledged to Are Oxford and Cambridge serve all sections of London’s communities, but will universities “off limits” for Black he live up to his promises? He will be applauded for school leavers. Lisa Gregoire his appointment of Ray Lewis as Deputy Mayor, but reports on attempts to widen /%0!2).-+!#*.2%)1(.+$)-'!#.-&%0%-#% there will be disappointment at the decision to remove access 2.$)1#3112(%/.+)2)#!+!+)%-!2).-.&+!#* the anti-racist message from the RISE festival. )-.0)262(-)#'0.3/1/!02)#3+!0+6 Running London will never be an easy job, so here to 14 GOVERNMENT AND 6.3-'/%./+%!-$2.+..*!2)--.4!2)4%5!61 offer some helpful advice are Lord Victor Adebowale, COMMUNITY NEWS .&%,/.5%0,%-2 Black farmer and Conservative parliamentary candidate Wilfred Emannuel-Jones, and OBV’s Ashok /'(,+)$*+.#%%#'%- 17 COLUMN: (&)"(,(+'!', Viswanathan. Party Political Broadcast, page 9 WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? #&('((%%/#*,(* Ade Sawyerr reviews Barack **# ''#$(-*', Trouble in Eden! Why do we fi nd it diffi cult Obama’s historic journey to the to live harmoniously with one another? According White House $ to the Bible, the trouble between “Them and Us” ! # started after the seventh day with theft, murder, lying 20 CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ! # and cover-ups. Was the fi rst murder a jealous act to Celebrating cultural diversity # assert identity? Has anything changed today? Add #! race, culture, religion and greed and, on the one hand, IDENTITY: WHO ARE THEY! we witness oppressive acts of violence committed to 22 Farhad Dalal refl ects on the gain power and assert identity, and on the other the “them” and “us” phenomenon infl iction of pain and disadvantage on those fi ghting for the freedom to express theirs. Farhad Dalal explores the identity crisis, page 22. 25 DIARY: COMMUNITY EVENTS ! " Black History Month !# *(&0#$*",,) ...0#$* *#, *$&/'!', # One love: The Obama love boat has docked. A large slice of Black Britain believes that Barack ! Obama will become the fi rst Black US President. Among them Ade Sawyerr, who has an electoral ! ! premonition and already sees our man in offi ce – and !# # not just one term! Blackening the White House, page 17. ! % Editor Art direction ! ! Winsome-Grace AIRM Design “Our future is in % Getting engaged! OBV continues its work Cornish (airmdesign@ our hands” ! to engage and empower our communities. We are in googlemail.com) Operation Black Vote is a not-for-profi t Sub-Editor company limited by guarantee. ()1%4%-2)1&0%%"325%!0%0%120)#2%$)- partnership with Bristol and Liverpool City Councils Susan Delgado Print Registered in Cardiff number: 379770 Press Masters 2(%-3,"%0.&!4!)+!"+%1%!211./+%!1% to increase the number of Black and Minority Ethnic Contributors Registered Offi ce: 18 Victoria Park (BME) councillors; with the Welsh Assembly and Square, London E2 9PB &!7."4.0'3*.0#!++ Wilfred Publisher the Parole Board to improve BME membership; and Emmanuel-Jones, Operation Black "63%1$!63+6 teamed with the Electoral Commission, we will leave Lisa Gregoire, Vote www.obv.org.uk Dr Farhad Dalal, no stone unturned to raise political awareness via our Adeela Shafi , ‘Martin Luther King Day’campaign. OBV News, Angela Foster, page 8. Ade Sawyerr, Barbara Campbell, Ashok Viswanathan, Stay tuned Victor Adebowale, Winsome-Grace Cornish ([email protected]) Faz Hakim, SPRING 2008 3 NEWS NEWS JPS BREAK ME AND MY Director’s THE BARRIERS SHADOW Magistrate scheme seminar – London note iverpool City Council Chief L Executive Colin Hilton dentity is the big theme was joined by the Mayor in this edition of OBV and councillors from the News. Although it is a main political parties to Liberal Shadow Nathalie Nicholas with her mentor I Councillor Steve Radford complex subject, we are welcome the launch of often compelled to ask, the Liverpool Councillor play a role in local social and economic “who are we?” There is no one simple answer, as Farhad Shadowing Scheme at the development. Participants are required Dalal writes. (See ‘Who are They’ page 22). end of May. to join a political party and will become For example, depending on where I am or who I am talking Following the success of “ambassadors”, encouraging others to to, I might describe myself as Black, Black British, Bajan, the OBV Shadowing Schemes follow their lead, and become active in OBV Caribbean, African, European, Londoner – or just Simon. at Bristol City Council and the campaigns, including voter registration and This may seem confusing and contradictory, but all these departments, plans to apply to National Assembly for Wales, citizenship empowerment to improve BME descriptions are equally legitimate. One thing is for sure become a magistrate. He said: “The Liverpool signed up to the representation in national government and true identity cannot be imposed; unless you believe it, or seminar was highly informative, mentoring project to encourage public life. feel it, it simply doesn’t work. especially the mock exercises. I local Black and Minority Ethnic Shadow Nathalie Nicholas said: The The eminent scholar Farhad Dalal states – and many intend to apply; my day-to-day (BME) people to take an interest scheme provides me with an opportunity to politicians would agree – that we should simply all be work involves making decisions in local government and consider learn about the political system. My goal is British, but until we address the gross inequalities on equality and I see that the bench standing for election as councillors. to be able to make a positive change in the perpetrated on the grounds of race, colour and religion, needs to be representative of all The scheme will encourage and nurture community.” the unequal “them and us” will persist. ethnicities.” those who take part to become involved Speaking at the launch, Councillor Anna Effectively tackling race and religious inequality will ensure Shasta Rashid, a member of the Right and below: in civic life and party politics. They will Rothery, Liverpool’s only BME councillor Lib Dem and Labour that we have the building blocks for a more cohesive and council’s Black Workers Group, shadows with their help to raise awareness of the issues and a graduate of the OBV MP shadowing integrated society. We must learn that integration cannot said: “I want to be a magistrate, and mentors and concerns of their communities and scheme, said: “I very much welcome this be forced, but is rather something individuals choose for from what I’ve heard today there initiative. It is a sad indictment that I am themselves. We should be comfortable with communities is a lack of Asian women coming the only Black representative out of 90 that choose to live separate lives as long as it is within the s part of our Magistrates forward. This is an opportunity for councillors, particularly when the BME law. Once communities feel less threatened they are less AShadowing Scheme OBV me to break those barriers and to community makes up over 8.2 percent of likely to be over protective about their identities. has been travelling across Britain overcome those statistics.” the population and we have one of the The persecution of many Muslims in the ‘war on terror’ with a series of awareness-raising Court Centre Manager Stephen oldest Black communities in Europe.” does not make them feel more British. On the contrary, seminars that have attracted Abbott was full of enthusiasm for Scheme mentor and Council leader Warren an identity under threat will partially retreat before hundreds interested in becoming the event: “We are continually Bradley, said: “The council chamber is reasserting itself with renewed – and sometimes JPs. (Justices of the Peace). looking to increase magistrates dominated by people who are largely from dangerous – vigour. But a society at ease with itself and The roadshow started in to the bench particularly from the a similar background and culture and we its kaleidoscope of cultures would allow individuals to Birmingham back in November BME community. It’s events like are determined that this will change.” coexist with their many identities and perhaps state that, 2007, when 60 people interested this that help fi nd those suitable “being a British citizen affords me the right to be who I in becoming JPs attended a candidates.” want to be’”. learning day entitled ‘A judiciary One of the youngest seminar The above statement may sound a little Utopian, but for all’ organised by OBV and attendees was Birmingham City Madge Saunders perhaps it isn’t. After all, a year ago who among us would Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. Council employee Tasmin Maher, GIVE WHISPER A SHOUT seriously have envisaged that a Black man could become Many of those who attended said 22. She said: “Today was really President? the under-representation of people interesting and it answered all of agistrates Scheme graduate “It incorporates both sacred and secular Dreams can come true if we make them happen! from the Black and Minority my questions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Islamophobia: with Or Without Islam?
    religions Article Islamophobia: With or without Islam? Thomas Sealy School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK; [email protected] Abstract: Islamophobia has been a controversial concept ever since it first gained popular currency. One of the main sticking points over the term is whether or not it refers to religion. For both detractors and advocates of the term alike, religion should be or is removed from the meaning of Islamophobia, which is conceived as a form of anti-Muslim racism. Islam, we might say, is thereby removed from Islamophobia. Yet, in doing so, it falls short on two of its key objectives, i.e., identifying the particular forms of discrimination that Muslims face in society and subsequently providing a positive basis from which to address this discrimination. In this article, the question asked is if we should put Islam back into Islamophobia and, if so, on what basis? According to the existing literature as well as a study of converts to Islam, it is suggested that Islam as a religion is both an important feature of Islamophobia as well as central to the identities of many Muslims, and then it is suggested why and how we should think about including religion into the scope of thinking on Islamophobia and how it is addressed. Keywords: Islamophobia; religious identity; religious hatred; ethno-religious; converts to Islam 1. Introduction Islamophobia has been a controversial concept ever since it first gained popular Citation: Sealy, Thomas. 2021. currency following the Runnymede Trust report Islamophobia: A Challenge for us All in Islamophobia: With or without 1997.
    [Show full text]
  • The Muslim Woman Activist’: Solidarity Across Difference in the Movement Against the ‘War on Terror’
    ORE Open Research Exeter TITLE ‘The Muslim woman activist’: solidarity across difference in the movement against the ‘War on Terror’ AUTHORS Massoumi, N JOURNAL Ethnicities DEPOSITED IN ORE 13 March 2019 This version available at http://hdl.handle.net/10871/36451 COPYRIGHT AND REUSE Open Research Exeter makes this work available in accordance with publisher policies. A NOTE ON VERSIONS The version presented here may differ from the published version. If citing, you are advised to consult the published version for pagination, volume/issue and date of publication ‘The Muslim woman activist’: solidarity across difference in the movement against the ‘War on Terror’ Abstract Feminist scholars have widely noted the centrality of gendered discourses to the ‘War on Terror’. This article shows how gendered narratives also shaped the collective identities of those opposing the ‘War on Terror’. Using interview data and analysis of newspaper editorials from movement leaders alongside focus groups with grassroots Muslim women activists, this article demonstrates how, in responding to the cynical use of women’s rights to justify war, participants in the anti- ‘War on Terror’ movement offered an alternative story. Movement activists deployed representations of Muslim women’s agency to challenge the trope of the ‘oppressed Muslim woman’. I argue that these representations went beyond strategic counter-narratives and offered an emotional basis for solidarity. Yet, respondents in the focus groups illustrated the challenges of seeking agency through an ascribed identity; in that they simultaneously refused and relied upon dominant terms of the debate about Muslim women. Keywords Muslim women, social movements, war on terror, collective identity, symbol Introduction Something horrible flits across the background in scenes from Afghanistan, scuttling out of sight.
    [Show full text]
  • Although Many European Radical Left Parties
    Peace, T. (2013) All I'm asking, is for a little respect: assessing the performance of Britain's most successful radical left party. Parliamentary Affairs, 66(2), pp. 405-424. There may be differences between this version and the published version. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from it. http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/144518/ Deposited on: 21 July 2017 Enlighten – Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow http://eprints.gla.ac.uk 2 All I’m asking, is for a little Respect: assessing the performance of Britain’s most successful radical left party BY TIMOTHY PEACE1 ABSTRACT This article offers an overview of the genesis, development and decline of the Respect Party, a rare example of a radical left party which has achieved some degree of success in the UK. It analyses the party’s electoral fortunes and the reasons for its inability to expand on its early breakthroughs in East London and Birmingham. Respect received much of its support from Muslim voters, although the mere presence of Muslims in a given area was not enough for Respect candidates to get elected. Indeed, despite criticism of the party for courting only Muslims, it did not aim to draw its support from these voters alone. Moreover, its reliance on young people and investment in local campaigning on specific political issues was often in opposition to the traditional ethnic politics which have characterised the electoral process in some areas. When the British public awoke on the morning of Friday 6th May 2005 most would have been unsurprised to discover that the Labour Party had clung on to power but with a reduced majority, as had been widely predicted.
    [Show full text]
  • The Inner Workings of British Political Parties the Interaction of Organisational Structures and Their Impact on Political Behaviours
    REPORT The Inner Workings of British Political Parties The Interaction of Organisational Structures and their Impact on Political Behaviours Ben Westerman About the Author Ben Westerman is a Research Fellow at the Constitution Society specialising in the internal anthropology of political parties. He also works as an adviser on the implications of Brexit for a number of large organisations and policy makers across sectors. He has previously worked for the Labour Party, on the Remain campaign and in Parliament. He holds degrees from Bristol University and King’s College, London. The Inner Workings of British Political Parties: The Interaction of Organisational Structures and their Impact on Political Behaviours Introduction Since June 2016, British politics has entered isn’t working’,3 ‘Bollocks to Brexit’,4 or ‘New Labour into an unprecedented period of volatility and New Danger’5 to get a sense of the tribalism this fragmentation as the decision to leave the European system has engendered. Moreover, for almost Union has ushered in a fundamental realignment a century, this antiquated system has enforced of the UK’s major political groupings. With the the domination of the Conservative and Labour nation bracing itself for its fourth major electoral Parties. Ninety-five years since Ramsay MacDonald event in five years, it remains to be seen how and to became the first Labour Prime Minister, no other what degree this realignment will take place under party has successfully formed a government the highly specific conditions of a majoritarian (national governments notwithstanding), and every electoral system. The general election of winter government since Attlee’s 1945 administration has 2019 may well come to be seen as a definitive point been formed by either the Conservative or Labour in British political history.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliamentary Affairs Following Peer Review
    1 This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Parliamentary Affairs following peer review. The version of record Peace T (2013) All I’m asking, is for a little Respect: assessing the performance of Britain’s most successful radical left party, Parliamentary Affairs, 66 (2), pp. 405-424 is available online at: http://pa.oxfordjournals.org/content/66/2/405 2 All I’m asking, is for a little Respect: assessing the performance of Britain’s most successful radical left party BY TIMOTHY PEACE1 ABSTRACT This article offers an overview of the genesis, development and decline of the Respect Party, a rare example of a radical left party which has achieved some degree of success in the UK. It analyses the party’s electoral fortunes and the reasons for its inability to expand on its early breakthroughs in East London and Birmingham. Respect received much of its support from Muslim voters, although the mere presence of Muslims in a given area was not enough for Respect candidates to get elected. Indeed, despite criticism of the party for courting only Muslims, it did not aim to draw its support from these voters alone. Moreover, its reliance on young people and investment in local campaigning on specific political issues was often in opposition to the traditional ethnic politics which have characterised the electoral process in some areas. When the British public awoke on the morning of Friday 6th May 2005 most would have been unsurprised to discover that the Labour Party had clung on to power but with a reduced majority, as had been widely predicted.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Political Radicalism
    NEW FROM EDINBURGH uNIVERSITY PRESS Islamic Political Radicalism A European Perspective Edited by Tahir Abbas ‘Tahir Abbas has put together a comprehensive examination of the roots - political, social, cultural and international - of Islamic radicalism in Europe today. After the bombings in Madrid and London, there is an urgent need for an informed and probing account of why extremism has taken hold in certain quarters and how the vast majority of law-abiding Muslims are caught up in efforts to contain it. This work speaks directly to the concerns of scholars, journalists and policymakers and provides instructive and timely answers.’ James Piscatori, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I – Definitions ‘This topical collection of articles by leading scholars confronts us with a complex 1. Introduction: Islamic Political Radicalism in Western Europe, and diverse post-modern phenomenon in the European context . it helps make Tahir Abbas sense of both the debates around the role of the media, Islamophobia, social and 2. The Discourse of ‘Terrorism’ between Violence, Justice and economic exclusion, crises of Muslim masculinity, gender and intergenerational International Order, Jørgen Nielsen conflicts, the impact of global political developments, and questions of identity 3. A Clinical Psychology Perspective on Radical Islamic Youth, in fuelling radical ‘Islamism’, and of the more urgent reflections on terrorism Edward J. Lifton and violence post 7/7.’ Humayun Ansari, author of The Infidel Within: 4. The Scales for Defining Islamic Political Radicalism,Ismail Adam Muslims in Britain Since 1800 Patel Part II – Islamic Political Radicalism in Europe Islamic political radicalism in Europe has seen a dramatic growth 5.
    [Show full text]
  • The Party Is Over for Respect, but George Galloway Could Find a Home Again in Labour
    9/23/2016 The party is over for Respect, but George Galloway could find a home again in Labour Academic rigour, journalistic flair The party is over for Respect, but George Galloway could find a home again in Labour August 23, 2016 2.44pm BST PA/Anna Gowthorpe The Respect Party, launched 12 years ago as a platform for opposing the Authors Iraq war, has ceased to be. Aer it lost its only parliamentary seat in the 2015 election, the party has “voluntarily de-registered” from the Electoral Commission. The demise of the party has led to much speculation about what the Parveen Akhtar Lecturer in Political Science, Aston Centre future holds for George Galloway – the man who was the party’s leader for Europe, Aston University and its only ever MP. Many now assume he will attempt to rejoin the Labour Party, which has shied significantly to the le under Jeremy Corbyn. These two parliamentary stalwarts share many political ideals and fought together against the Iraq war in the early 2000s. Timothy Peace Lecturer in Politics, University of Stirling Losing Respect Respect emerged in 2004 out of the anti-war movement. Galloway was a high profile figure and, within the space of just a few months, the party managed to win a quarter of a million votes in the European parliamentary elections. Galloway himself was almost elected as an MEP in London. A year later he went one better in the 2005 general election and was elected as MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, a constituency with a large Muslim population.
    [Show full text]
  • On Islamophobia
    On Islamophobia The Problem of Definition Trevor Phillips, Sir John Jenkins and Dr Martyn Frampton Foreword by Khalid Mahmood MP On Islamophobia The Problem of Definition Trevor Phillips, Sir John Jenkins and Dr Martyn Frampton Foreword by Khalid Mahmood MP Policy Exchange is the UK’s leading think tank. We are an independent, non-partisan educational charity whose mission is to develop and promote new policy ideas that will deliver better public services, a stronger society and a more dynamic economy. Policy Exchange is committed to an evidence-based approach to policy development and retains copyright and full editorial control over all its written research. We work in partnership with academics and other experts and commission major studies involving thorough empirical research of alternative policy outcomes. We believe that the policy experience of other countries offers important lessons for government in the UK. We also believe that government has much to learn from business and the voluntary sector. Registered charity no: 1096300. Trustees Diana Berry, Pamela Dow, Alexander Downer, Andrew Feldman, Candida Gertler, Patricia Hodgson, Greta Jones, Edward Lee, Charlotte Metcalf, Roger Orf, Andrew Roberts, George Robinson, Robert Rosenkranz, Peter Wall, Nigel Wright. On Islamophobia About the Authors Trevor Phillips OBE is a writer, broadcaster and businessman. He is the Chairman of Index on Censorship, the international campaign group for freedom of expression, and was chair of both the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Runnymede Trust. Sir John Jenkins spent a 35-year career in the British Diplomatic Service. He holds a BA (Double First Class Honours) and a Ph.D from Jesus College, Cambridge.
    [Show full text]
  • 'It Must Be True – I Read It in the News!'. Representations of UK Poverty in British N
    DRAFT – NOT FOR WIDER CIRCULATION Poverty, Shame and Social Exclusion Work Package 3 ‘It must be true – I read it in the news!’. Representations of UK poverty in British national newspapers 2006-2012 Elaine Chase Robert Walker 2012 Professor Robert Walker, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, Oxford Institute of Social Policy, Barnett House 32 Wellington Square, OX1 2ER [email protected] Dr. Elaine Chase, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, Oxford Institute of Social Policy, [email protected] 1 DRAFT – NOT FOR WIDER CIRCULATION Introduction This report presents an analysis of newspaper coverage of poverty in the UK over a five year period. It was conducted as part of a wider ESRC/DFID – funded research project: Poverty, shame and social exclusion: A comparative study in seven countries. The overall project is comprised of four main components, conducted sequentially in each of the seven countries (China, India, Norway, Pakistan, South Korea, Uganda, UK): an analysis of cultural norms and values of poverty (explored through popular literature and film); an examination of the views and perspectives of people living in poverty; an exploration of the wider dominant public perceptions surrounding poverty (elicited via a combination of group discussions with the general public and the current media analysis); and a review of anti-poverty policies. Previous phases of the research had revealed a firm link between perceptions of poverty in the UK and the receipt of welfare. For this reason, the key research terms employed for the analysis using Nexis (see below) were ‘poverty’ and ‘welfare’.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Trojan Horse from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia for the Ufology Book, See Operation Trojan Horse (Book)
    Operation Trojan Horse From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For the ufology book, see Operation Trojan Horse (book). Operation Trojan Horse was an organised attempt by Islamists to covertly co-opt schools in England.[1][2] The name, based on the Ancient Greek legend, came from a leaked letter of questionable authenticity discovered in March 2014, alleged to be from Islamists in Birmingham, detailing how to wrest control of a school and speculating about expanding the scheme to other cities. Around a month later, Birmingham City Council said that it had received "hundreds" of allegations of school takeover plots similar to those illustrated in the letter, some dating back over 20 years.[3] Tahir Alam, the chairman of the Park View Educational Trust which runs six schools in Birmingham, was found to have written a 72-page document for the Muslim Council of Britain in 2007 detailing a blueprint for the "Islamisation" of secular state schools.[4][5] Investigations by Ofsted and the Education Funding Authority in 21 schools in Birmingham found evidence of an organised campaign to target certain schools by Islamists and that head teachers had been "marginalised or forced out of their jobs".[6][2][7] Golden Hillock School, Nansen Primary School, Park View School - all run by the Park View Educational Trust - Oldknow Academy and Saltley School were placed in special measures after inspectors found systemic failings including the schools having failed to take adequate steps to safeguard pupils against extremism. Another school investigated, Alston Primary, was already in special measures. A sixth school was labelled inadequate for its poor educational standards and twelve schools were found needing of improvements.
    [Show full text]
  • Salma Yaqoob
    Salma Yaqoob The co-founder of the Respect Party interviewed by Huw Spanner at her home in Birmingham 21 July 2016 2 Salma Yaqoob Just Being Honest Salma Yaqoob cut her teeth as an anti-war campaigner and for nine years led the Respect Party, which she co-founded in 2004. Over the years, she has been courted by the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Labour. Huw Spanner found her at home in Birmingham on 21 July 2016. PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW FIRTH You started out as a psychotherapist but, through the Stop the War movement, you became a politician – I’ve never regarded myself as a politician. For me, it’s not a career. OK, you found yourself in politics. Has that changed your perception of politicians? Yes, but in opposite ways. When I first entered politics, there was that naive belief, you know, that if you mobilise, if you put your case, the system will respond. I suppose I now know how entrenched the interests are and how difficult it is to get change. I’m still an idealist but I’ve become more cynical. Also, I now know how little, actually, many politicians care. You meet them and you 3 Salma Yaqoob realise that for them it is a game: it is very much about their personal ambition, and about what’s expedient at the time. They come across on TV as quite passionate and they seem to believe in the arguments they put forward and the vast majority of people watching take it in good faith; but they’re just going through the motions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lessons from Bradford West for Election Campaigning and Political
    THE BRADFORD A E EARTHQUAKEU D M O The lessons from Bradford West for election campaigning C D R I A ❱ T and political engagement in Britain Lewis Baston I T C The DemocraTic auDiT THE BRADFORD EARTHQUAKE 2 The DemocraTic auDiT ❱ Contents ❱ About this report 5 ❱ Key findings 7 ❱ Summary 9 A THE CONTEXT OF THE BY-ELECTION 1 Introducing the constituency 13 2 The city of Bradford 17 3 Bradford in 2012 21 4 The coming of the by-election 22 B THE BRADFORD WEST BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN 1 The campaign: the ‘orthodox’ version 23 2 The Labour selection: the first turning point 26 3 The Respect campaign 28 4 The televised debate: the second turning point 35 5 The outcome 37 C THE MAY 2012 COUNCIL ELECTIONS 1 The May 2012 council elections in Bradford 40 2 The council election results analysed 41 3 Bradford Council: the future 45 D THE MEANING OF BRADFORD WEST 1 ‘The most sensational result’: Bradford and other by-elections 47 2 What caused the Bradford earthquake? 50 3 A rational use of the vote 60 ❱ Sources and bibliography 61 ❱ About Democratic Audit 64 THE BRADFORD EARTHQUAKE 3 The DemocraTic auDiT Lewis Baston is a Senior Research Fellow at Democratic Audit, specialising in elections and electoral systems. From 2003 until 2010 he was Director of Research at the Electoral Reform Society. His published work includes the biography of Reginald Maudling, an account of the 2011 AV referendum, and several works of electoral analysis. Images of Patrice Warrener’s illumination of Bradford Town hall are by kind permission of Joanna Stratton.
    [Show full text]