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Tory husband and wife who posed with golliwogs on Facebook forced out of Conservative

They saw it as a harmless stunt to highlight the more hysterical elements of the politically correct bandwagon.

But perhaps it proved their point a little too well.

Two prospective Tory councillors have resigned from the Conservative Party after being suspended for posting pictures of themselves holding golliwog dolls on Facebook.

Married couple Bill and Star Etheridge, who campaign against political correctness, say they were trying to promote ‘healthy debate’ about whether the doll was a racist symbol.

But the pair were summoned before a disciplinary committee after a colleague made a complaint.

Mr Etheridge, 41, who was due to stand alongside his wife for the Tories in the Dudley Council elections in May, has now joined UKIP as he claims his right to express his views is being stifled by the Conservative Party.

He said: ‘We just wanted to stimulate debate and gollies are a perfect example of an innocent child’s toy that’s been transformed into something sinister by the politically correct brigade.

‘We need to get back to a point where people can say what they think and not live in fear. That’s real democracy.’

The couple, who have been pictured with members of the Tory high command, including David Cameron, say they feel betrayed by the party.

They bought the dolls at a market and posted pictures of them on Facebook in December last year.

A few days before Christmas, the Dudley North Conservative Association asked them to remove the photos as they feared they could be used against the couple.

The Etheridges, from Sedgley, West Midlands, who organise their local branch of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, agreed reluctantly.

But then an anonymous colleague complained to the party about them and they were suspended by a disciplinary committee. Outraged at their treatment, they resigned as members.

Mrs Etheridge, 39, a mother-of-three, said she and her husband had wanted to promote debate, not cause offence.
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She added: ‘It’s just a child’s toy and the politically correct brigade are the ones who have turned it into a racist symbol. I grew up in Bury in Lancashire, so I have a lot of black and Asian friends and as children we had golly dolls and we never once thought of them as racist.

‘Some people say it is offensive, but they’re generally do-gooders who are offended on behalf of other people.’

She added that with the couple’s suspension, David Cameron had gone back on his party’s pledge to curb political correctness.

Golliwog dolls have been around for more than a century and first appeared as friendly characters in children’s books in the 1890s.

Conservative disciplinary committee secretary Stephen Phillips wrote to the pair about their 30-day suspension, saying ‘serious issues’ had been raised ‘that might bring the party into disrepute’.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: ‘Following a complaint by members of the voluntary party in the area, two Conservative members have resigned

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368713/Tory-husband-wife-posed-golliwogs-Facebook-forced-leave-conservatives.html#ixzz1HQl76rr7

Reply 1

TwoZootsPlz

cool story bro.

Reply 2