To think Tory party is not ready for a non-white PM

[allmixedup123]

While all this talk about Rishi goes on, I just can't see it happening. Too much of the tory party is old english and super duper white

this from an independent headline - The Conservative leadership contest is dominated by white men who've furthered inequality in various departments. The winner will be chosen by a membership who are 71 per cent male, 97 per cent white and 44 per cent aged over 65

I agree completely. I find the thought of him being the PM quite disturbing actually.

That's why I'm hoping he gets the gig, tbh.

The racist element among Tory voters might be put off voting for the party, so it could increase the chances of getting rid of the lot of them.

Tories will select the best person for the job. Labours will come up with reasons not to select people and then select whoever is left.

The Conservatives are the only party to have selected as leaders and elected both female and Jewish PMs. People might not like the Tories but why be so sniffy about old English and super duper white. They're doing more for women getting to the top than the Labour Party. They can't even get a representative of the majority of the population to the top, never mind someone from a minority. Although I guess 'sirs' are a minority.😏

Exactly this. It’s just strange that people still see the colour of the candidate. I think you need to look at yourself.

The most recent poll suggests that Rishi is the favourite amongst Conservative Party members, so I’m not sure you’re theory stacks up.

I don’t think they need another rule breaker in charge, nor do they need someone who is on the times rich list. They need a regular person in charge, no idea who that would be because, well, they’re Tories.

RE women leaders: out of the 11 parties elected to the HoC in the 2019 election, 10 have had at least one woman leader.

RE this leadership contest: if the final two don't include a white person, which is quite possible, then the leader/PM won't be a white person.

Honestly, I think this is less of an issue for the Conservatives than for the other parties. The Cons don't admit to structural racism or approve of affirmative action or reserved places on shortlists, so anyone who gets into the last 2 has definitely proven themself to be as "good" a ruthless bastard Top Tory as anyone else. Even UKIP have had a mixed-race leader (Freddy Vacha).

A lot of their 'new' voters are the dregs... What does this mean? New voters as in people too young to vote in a previous election? People who've just gained UK citizenship (or Commonwealth and Irish citizens newly resident in the UK)? Or do you mean former Labour voters?

Well a lot of Tory voters are prone to jumping ship to whatever racist-in-chief Nigel Farage is promoting so I do think it might be a factor (not that Conservative party members are necessarily the ones that have jumped ship in the past). It shouldn’t be a factor - clearly - but these are the people who thought Boris would make an appropriate PM so who knows how their minds work.

This

Tories are readier for a non-white PM more than labour is ready for a female leader. Perhaps it tells you where the real problem lies.

Tories, whatever you you think of them, are more bothered about winning than anything else. For an ambitious person in UK politics, you would choose this party above all others if what you wanted to was get ahead. And the BAME Tories are nothing if not ambitious.

Is it bad that I've just realised Rishi isn't white? 😂 not that I thought he was specifically white, I just hadn't registered his race.

Of course, I knew his wife is Indian due to the tax thing, but it hadn't actually clicked that he wasn't white.

Anyway, I think he'd be a good candidate and rooting for him.

*@PlanetNormal ’, IIRC the LDs did have a woman leader at the last GE - and look what happened to her, she lost her seat.
But I doubt that had anything to do with her sex - more with the daft, deluded things she was saying.

Rishi's has had his day.

The fact that we are now paying the highest taxes since WWII in the middle of the cost of living crisis is evidence that he failed as Chancellor, not to mention all the billions that have been wasted.

It would be insane to vote for him.

He was educated at Winchester and Oxford and his family is entrenched with the British upper class. I think a lot of traditionally conservative Brits view race very differently to how it is viewed in, say, America. If you are educated at certain schools and you’re not “flaunting” your ethnicity it seems you are very much accepted at the highest levels of society in Britain.

This isn’t how I think, btw, just an observation.

Rishi and Nadim are both under some sort of scrutiny... let's not forget that Nadim put his stables' heating bill up for MP's expenses.

His odds are 4/1, highest of anyone. There are other non-white and also female candidates. What on earth does being 'ready' mean? His colour has nothing to do with his potential PM abilities and how well he does in the leadership race

I’m 24, female, white (well I’m also Native American but look very white) and a member of the Tory party (only £5 and I figured there was a good chance I’d get to vote for the next PM). I wouldn’t vote for Rishi.

He is obviously very hard working and capable but he is not in touch at all. I just don’t think you can have empathy with people when you are so eye wateringly wealthy (not that I bemoan his success!).

My favourite atm is Sajid Javid - tight monetary, loose fiscal policy. Good background, knows how to run a business.

However, I am also team anyone but Truss. So in a Rishi v Truss runoff I am 100% for Rishi.

Wasn’t (isn’t) Ed Miliband Jewish?

I don’t think so. More likely that he’s stinking rich and many in the country are skint. It wouldn’t go down well.

And keep the pesky immigrants out like PP has tried to. Extra points for any brown people willing to be anti poor, pro elitist and hate immigrants.

I think it's such a mistake to assume Tories are all elderly racists. They're not racist, they're classist.

He's from an upper middle class background, rich and privately educated anyway, so he's one of them.

There’s quite a bit of ‘I don’t see colour’ on this thread isn’t there?

So apart from not being white, what other breakthrough in British politics does the Tory millionaire husband of a billionaire offer us?