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

Sunak is currently the favourite by a fair margin at the bookies.

The title of this thread is odd -- considering he will need to win the most votes of the Conservative membership in order to be elected... so if he is elected, how can they not be ready ?

Makes it worse then that Labour have had no female leaders

@FunDragon
Wasn’t (isn’t) Ed Miliband Jewish

You're quite right. Sorry. I meant that they had selected a Jewish leader that got elected as PM but I wrote it sloppily. Sorry. However...although Milliband's of Jewish heritage, his father was an atheist, he was brought up in an atheist household and he has said he is an atheist.

I am not a Tory voter but I really don't think that they would have a problem with a non white leader.

The fact that he is a billionaire and in my view can't relate with what is going on and how much a lot of people are really suffering - its got nothing to do with skin colour. . The billionaire wife serving coffee to the press was so hilarious in my view. As a white female, I actually prefer Javid.

I'm no Tory fan.

However to be fair to them they have had woman and do have a good mixed cabinet.

I don't think this will be an issue for them.

However I agree with above posters that their reason for who they appoint may not be the most moral - even if they are liberal!

I couldnt name one Tory who has experienced real life and can identify with what its like to have an average income, average life, buying or renting an average house, having their kids at average schools.

Well there are at least 5 and that's just of the top of my head who have actually fought in war zones.

There are quite a few who have had a working class background, just like there are quite a few Labour MPs who are from a privilidged backgrounds.

Please name some who have fought in war zones for my interest, please!

Agree with this. He would be bad for our country. Shit that we dont get to elect our leader really.

I don’t think The conservatives will elect a Non white leader because they know the nation won’t elect a non white leader.

Just to point out. The Conservatives have a better record on diversity than most parties. They elected the first non-Christian and foreign heritage Premier in Disraeli back in the century before last. It will focus on the best possible leader and if that is Sunak, he will get elected. I have a lot of time for him.

I don't think they care what colour / sex the leader is as long as they look like they'll win the next GE

Who are they?

I didnt say or imply that Labour havent got MPs who come from privileged backgrounds,, most MPs have these days.

I asked a poster (might have been you) who said their track record was better and I didnt receive an answer as to what that meant

Are you using Disraeli as an example of that? Do you think thats a bit of a stretch?
The Labour party didnt even exist in its recognisable form until about 10 years after that.

I don’t think The conservatives will elect a Non white leader because they know the nation won’t elect a non white leader.

That's nonsense. Rishi Sunak is just the kind of rich, suave, charismatic figure that British voters fall for! If he became PM, I reckon he’d beat Starmer any day.

Rishi would be more popular than Keir Starmer
That is true.
Conservatives are loyal too, it'll be anyone but Labour regardless.

The Tories will vote for who they think will win them the election, that’s all that matters to them, they really are ruthless in their ambition.

That's pretty much what Dowdens endorsement of him focus' on.

He'll beat Keir Starmer!

Hmm, in so far as the powerful people in the media, (or even back-rooms at the HoC), these days they don't mind you being non-white, or a woman, or even both - what they really can't stomach is you being one of those things, and a progressive, or working class, or something else they don't really understand. Thus Tories can diversify from old white blokes without their MPs being crucified.

Or to put it another way, look at how much higher a standard Keir Starmer is held to than Boris ever was. Now strip out his middle-aged white man privilege, and it should be easy to see how impossible it is currently for a party which might be in government sometime, to be led by someone who is an easier target....

Are you just projecting your own thoughts?

I don't mean that badly. I still feel Theresa May was treated differently than if she'd been a man.

I disagree, the Conservative party are 100% ready for a non white person. Fingers crossed for Rishi I hope he wins 🤞

Or to put it another way, look at how much higher a standard Keir Starmer is held to than Boris ever was.

To be fair, the only thing asked of Starmer is to find a personality (not even looking for charisma - no point asking for the impossible) and learn to speak without putting the audience to sleep withing 30 seconds. It's not too big of an ask, is it?

Labour have only ever had white men as leaders, and as far as I can see have only ever had one non-white leadership candidate (Diane Abbott - who came last in 2010)

Both Labour and Conservatives have had jewish leaders, including one each this century, but the only PM was the Conservative Disraeli.

The SNP and Lib Dems have both appointed female leaders and the Conservatives have had two women leaders who both became PM. In recent times they have also had the youngest leader (Hague) and the youngest PM (Cameron).

5 of the 12 favourites to become Conservative leader this time are non-white.

The worst major party for ethnic diversity is the SNP. After the 2019 general election, every single one of their 48 MPs is white, and in fact every candidate in the election was white.

I am a lifelong socialist but I have to give the Tories their due. There was Disraeli, but also Michael Howard and for all Thatch's abundant faults (I loathed her for so many things) I don't think she was an anti Semite.

I think it may come down to at least Javid/Sunak/Zahawi, possibly Patel being in the later stages and I have a bit of faith that the parliamentary party at least will not discriminate against these British people on specious grounds.

She is female