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

Back to the original thread-title question, as they had a furriner in the 1800s, I really don't see why they would have difficulty with another leader whose ancestors were immigrants.

Or do people think that Disraeli was a WASP?

The Tories, unlike other British parties have elected those from non-WASP backgrounds, and were the first to elect women

It's one of those weirdities - Tories get bashed for cronyism, but their actual record is quite different. Their leadership selection has given the most diverse results of any party.

And of course other parties get the cronyism - I think its to do with length of time in power ie it was notorious under Blair as well. But character of leader plays a part as well of course - less sleaze under Thatcher than under Major (though events during his watch tend to be attributed to her)

Nope, thats just silly, is there never a middle option? why are the extremes so keen on division?

Need to look at what Rishi did as chancellor, ignore CV, every western country splashed out billions.
5p cut in fuel duty... and what else? a few £'00 to everyone, very little targeted, compare to the help given in France? he has no clue.

Sunak, along with many other candidates, talk of restoring trust, integrity, values blah blah blah.... yet every Sunday were on the Marr show backing Boris Johnson fgs!
The public will not trust a tory who was so heavily invested in Bojo's premiership, it'll be an open goal for the opposition.

I think the Tory party membership will go for an ultra right winger, against the wishes of the MPs, so v likely a coronation.

I'm not sure. My Mum is a staunch Tory as many - not all, before I offend any MNers! - women of her generation seem to be (when the TV interviewers were asking people on the street what they thought of BJ resigning, the only ones speaking in his favour seemed to be white women in their 60s and 70s).

She is definitely anti-immigrant and I am pretty sure she is a closet racist but she seems to discount race on an individual level so would be happy for a non-white Conservative leader. She would probably go for Nadim Zahawi.

I think they won't elect a non-white woman though.

Can't decide which is more pathetic really, debating whether the Conservative party is ready for a non white leader or how much someone's fucking tea cups cost.

Well this is interesting Kemi Badenoch has just announced she will run.

A woman of Nigerian origin, who spent some of her childhood in Nigeria, ALevels at an FE college, University of Sussex, worked in McDonalds.

"Ordinary" and black African. I think the Tories (and the country) may be ready for a posh, rich Asian, but a (more) working class black african woman?

kemi Badenoch? Kwasi kwarteng? Adam afriye? James Cleverly?
that’s off the top of my head. There will be at least one black candidate in this leadership race and probably more, if kwasi stands - and I can’t believe he won’t

Candidate is entirely different to being selected and as PP said neither of the female leaders were selected by the membership.

Heh. That’s desperate. The fact of the matter is the tories can field a diverse slate with an ethnic minority candidate as the front runner while Labour are still stuck with the white male pompous windbag lawyers.
the orgy of racism already developing on social media among so called progressives is nauseating to watch.

She will be good with a budget.

I like the sound of Kemi , it would be interesting to see how daily Mail / express / sun readers and its owners would react if the new leader elected was from a different culture and background, but I'd like to think they would give anyone taking on this job a fair press .. the Mail are already laying into Rishi Sunak a bit , but he is well known and clearly was behind the plot to bring down Boris Johnson , so that is a bit sour grapes rather than anything to do with his heritage.

As a Tory man. I think we are more ready for a leader who wants to get the work done and is less interested in being the life and soul of any old party or a media star.
That is where my friends are starting from.
Neville Chamberlin in mid 1930s building houses and hospitals. Margaret Thatcher and the changes to comprehensive education. These are who I think of. Enough of the flash and part-timers (Macmillan).

old english and super duper white

What a racist thread OP. It's also ageist.

Why does it matter if they are white? The UK is a majority white country, in case you haven't noticed

I also don't understand the 'readiness' bit. The most competent person should be in charge.

I also don't understand the 'readiness' bit. The most competent person should be in charge.

Saying whether we are 'ready' or not, implies there is a milestone we should be reaching when there is no such thing

She isn't working class.

Just because you or your parents played the state school system - plenty of Labour MPs come to mind - doesn't make you working class.

Her parents are/were middle class professionals. One was a GP and the other was a university professor.

She was also educated in the US as well as Nigeria.

Just because you are black doesn't mean you are working class.

I also don't understand the 'readiness' bit. The most competent person should be in charge.

They will only elect a Brexit-supporting leader, which rules out any of the vaguely competent candidates.

Brexit is done.

We just need someone to sort out the mess who will ignore the tantrums of the DUP.

Brexit is done.

🤣 No it isn't. And it will still dominate the agenda when choosing a leader. The Conservative Party are hamstrung by the issue.

Even Starmer has switched with Brexit and isn’t up for changing much

I doubt it will matter as much as it did, some of them have switched too and will work with it

I love Kemi Badenoch. She would be an amazing PM.

The Tory party isn’t ready for anything.

Honestly whoever they pick is going to be appalling, though I specifically think Sunak shouldn’t get in because he’s running on the basis of “fixing the economy”.

If any of you still believe that the Tories are gonna fix the economy, hit me up, I’ve got a bridge to sell you!

Most politicians have their skeletons so trying to find one who is clean as a whistle won't be easy let alone the question of heritage and how that might be received by the voting public.
Wes Streeting ( shadow health) comes from a criminal background via his granddad so I'm sure that will be brought up if Labour ever got in and he was a minister. There is always something as my late dad used to say.

Whoever takes over, when the waves of shite starts hitting their chin, they will try to make it recede by saying ‘a big boy done it and ran away’.

But you neednae bother Rishi. Because we already know you speak pish.

And you held his coat.

I said somewhere yesterday, ban the word Brexit. It is over it cannot be unwound. Sir K said that quite clearly and most people of intelligence realise that.

That Referendum was 6 years ago. We are where we are right now.
Negotiations on trade are required. Not flash or grand claims ahead of the meetings for the cameras and to feed the pundits and maintain a Social Media count. Just taking things item by item as they arise.
The new PM will also have to set out clearly what is expected of the Civil Service. They are there to work for the Government of the day, NOT work to their own agenda.

I think it’s more to do the caliber of candidate that Tories attract compared with Labour - on any colour. But since we are talking about ethnicity, then let’s focus there.

Tories have Kemi Badenoch, Kwasi Kwarteng, Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi Suella Braverman - nothing if not polished and ambitious. Regardless of what you think of their politics, have achieved something in their professional lives and we’re successful before politics.
Now Labour - David Lammy, Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler, Thangam Debonnaire - sometimes mediocre, often embarrassing, window dressing with nothing to offer and certainly no leadership qualities.

It’s the same with the women. Tory women, whatever you think of them, just get on with whatever their agenda is. The two Tory PMs come to mind. Then we have Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman (unfortunately Priti Patel lowers the bar).
Now labour - Angela (‘oi scum’) Rayner, Emily Thornberry, Diane Abbott, Stella (I’m a super mum) Creasy, Jess (shouty) Phillips. The list goes on. These women set the cause back for women by about 100 years by being the most mediocre, stereotypical ‘hysterical’ types. This is not how successful women in business behave, for example. What happened to the likes of Margaret Beckett and Harriett Harman wanting join Labour, so wonder.

I just wanted to add to this thread. I'm Black and I think the UK will not elect a non-white PM. London is not the UK. Ethnic minority tories tend to be treated better than their counter parts in other parties but they've really drank too much of the cool aid this time. This is not the US. The UK at its core is very very racist. There is no way in hell it will elect a non white leader.