Windrush Day 2020: Do you think the Conservatives will change?

Reformed2019

Hi, As a patriotic Briton, I was attracted to the grand mythos of the Conservative Party as a teen. I am the grandson of the Windrush generation and grew up with a great sense of self pride that my grandparents made the positive choice to come and invest in the United Kingdom, their motherland!

The Conservatives came across unashamed of their patriotism and defensive of what was considered British. Well I am British I thought and in the face of the racial and xenophobia my grandparents, my parents and now I was facing then surely I thought, this is the party for me. But event after event, especially the Windrush scandal that was caused by the hostile immigration policy I came to a dreadful conclusion.

This Conservative patriotism is conditional, increasingly nationalist and rather than an inclusive civic one it was an ethnic based. I met racial animosity from too many young Conservative activists. N word, black face, slavery jokes, mocking of #BlackLivesMatter. It was just too much and despite the many lovely people, decided this just didn't feel like home.

At 6th form and University I learned of one-nation Conservativism, Benjamin Disraeli what a hero, and realised retrospectively that was likely the type of Tory I would have become, in another universe. But the future is similar another universe, it's yet to be decided.

Do you think the Conservative Party can change or do you think it needs to, specifically in regards to issues regarding race and immigration

Happy Windrush 2020 day.

Reply 1

username5318982

11

As a card carrying member of the Labour Party, my views on the Conservative Party are rather hostile. Personally, the whole notion of Conservatism is at odds with positive change, a belief shaped by the recent scandal regarding islamophobia. I acknowledge the plague of antisemitism that stained Labour and its values, but am satisfied by the way it is currently being handled. I agree that there are more palatable Conservatives from history, and am upset by your horrific experiences as a Conservative supporter. I hope your political homelessness does not last long and that you can feel at home and safe in a political party, but you can always join the Labour Party whose patriotism is slowly but surely returning.

Happy Windrush day 2020.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 2

Funkinwolf

4

Firstly I am very sorry you went through this, it is completely unacceptable and should never have happened to you.

Unfortunately I think Conservatives are too big and therefore will attract too many right wing people who will have bigotry towards an ethnic or sexual minority. Until the UK adopts PR voting and the Liberal Conservatives split from the Nationalist Conservatives, I don't think you will see a difference.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 3

username402722

19

I don't think on this issue the Conservatives will change. They seem hostile to Afro-Carribeans and to an extent those of African heritage more than those of Indian/other South Asian heritage, the latter of whom have representation in the Cabinet.

Reply 4

L i b

19

Original post by Reformed2019

The Conservatives came across unashamed of their patriotism and defensive of what was considered British. Well I am British I thought and in the face of the racial and xenophobia my grandparents, my parents and now I was facing then surely I thought, this is the party for me. But event after event, especially the Windrush scandal that was caused by the hostile immigration policy I came to a dreadful conclusion.

I'll have a go at Conservative immigration policy till the cows are sent home, but this isn't an accurate representation of anything.

The "hostile environment" strategy was about the documentation of immigration status to access services. It was to create a hostile environment for illegal immigration, not in any way to impact on legal immigration.

The problem with the Windrush deportations was that two things had happened: firstly, the people concerned had lost or destroyed any written documentation of their right to remain. The UK Government, before the Conservatives came into power, accidentally planned the same, not realising the significance of arrival data from many decades ago. Both are quite understandable mistakes - but had significant consequences by leaving some people without any confirmation at all of their immigration status.

To suggest it was in some way deliberate is wrong. In any case, a non-British national found without documentation of his or her immigration status would be challenged and subject to deportation.

This Conservative patriotism is conditional, increasingly nationalist and rather than an inclusive civic one it was an ethnic based. I met racial animosity from too many young Conservative activists. N word, black face, slavery jokes, mocking of #BlackLivesMatter. It was just too much and despite the many lovely people, decided this just didn't feel like home.

That is appalling and if you experienced stuff like this, I would hope you'd feel comfortable in supporting it. It's not acceptable in any political party, no matter how young the activists.

Reply 5

L i b

19

Original post by barnetlad

I don't think on this issue the Conservatives will change. They seem hostile to Afro-Carribeans and to an extent those of African heritage more than those of Indian/other South Asian heritage, the latter of whom have representation in the Cabinet.

It just so happens there are a few people of Asian heritage in the cabinet, just as the Conservatives have had black people in the cabinet: there are a number of black ministers I can think of off the top of my head. Indeed, the last chairman of the Conservative Party was black.

Reply 6

History98

15

Original post by Reformed2019

This Conservative patriotism is conditional, increasingly nationalist and rather than an inclusive civic one it was an ethnic based. I met racial animosity from too many young Conservative activists. N word, black face, slavery jokes, mocking of #BlackLivesMatter. It was just too much and despite the many lovely people, decided this just didn't feel like home.

If these are your experiences then you might want to report it, you might be surprised at how seriously it will probably be taken. The police will come to see them at halls or at their private residence and question them about the incident. The university will also ask them about it as well. If no concrete evidence (screenshots etc) is found then all that will happen is that the incident will be noted and warning letters (these will not be official cautions - just letters talking about how bad racism is etc.) would be sent from both the police and the university. If evidence is found then they will get terminated from the university and receive an official caution from the police.

Reply 7

NJA

20

Theresa May sees an opportunity to cash in big

If she is donating the k£100s let me know

Reply 8

Napp

22

Original post by L i b

It just so happens there are a few people of Asian heritage in the cabinet,

It is quite amusing hearing the reaction to the various people of Asian descent in the cabinet... namely in the accusations of them being 'the wrong asians'.. an intriguing thought process going into that claim :lol:

Reply 9

L i b

19

Original post by NJA

Theresa May sees an opportunity to cash in big

If she is donating the k£100s let me know

That's a ridiculous load of nonsense.

"A representative for many Windrush families called out the former PM for making money off of the scandal"

Except, of course, she didn't and hasn't.

"while those affected struggle to get compensation"

Do they? Strange given that our courts are equally accessible to all. Indeed, the Government has even set up a support scheme, in addition to any legally required compensation - so, in fact, they'll find it far easier than anyone else faced with a claim against the Government.

"That's awful to hear, because she's one of the architects of the hostile environment"

Which, of course, deals with illegal immigrants - not legal ones.

"There are lots and lots of people who are responsible, she took it to a new level."

Well, not really. There's the responsibility of the Government in terms of destroying records. There's the responsibility of the people concerned who clearly disposed of or lost their only documentation showing their immigration status in the UK.

"Ms McKenzie argued that the former PM "wanted to make the system as difficult as possible for people who have no status to stay in the country she hasn't thought it through""

Except, it wasn't even her policy - it was an expanded policy direction from the Labour years. It was thought through, by two governments, and it's perfectly legitimate to pass policies that highlight people who are in Britain illegally.

"The environment which made it difficult for Windrush victims was designed to "catch a whole lot of people who were legally in the country and through no fault of their own couldn't prove it and that is at the doors of Theresa May" according to the lawyer."

"The lawyer" is clearly an idiot.

Reply 10

username402722

19

Original post by HRobson_BMC

After the most recent election, I think it's more clear than ever that the Conservatives have no need to change. They are secure in the knowledge that whatever they do, they will have the support of a large portion of the people. I doubt that will be changing anytime soon, for better or for worse.

You may sadly be correct. Even though this is only a Conservative Party in name. No real Conservative Party would be so clueless about how business works as this government is. No real Conservative Party would wish to harm business by having no deal with the EU on trade.

Reply 11

Gundabad(good)

20

Original post by Reformed2019

Hi, As a patriotic Briton, I was attracted to the grand mythos of the Conservative Party as a teen. I am the grandson of the Windrush generation and grew up with a great sense of self pride that my grandparents made the positive choice to come and invest in the United Kingdom, their motherland!

The Conservatives came across unashamed of their patriotism and defensive of what was considered British. Well I am British I thought and in the face of the racial and xenophobia my grandparents, my parents and now I was facing then surely I thought, this is the party for me. But event after event, especially the Windrush scandal that was caused by the hostile immigration policy I came to a dreadful conclusion.

This Conservative patriotism is conditional, increasingly nationalist and rather than an inclusive civic one it was an ethnic based. I met racial animosity from too many young Conservative activists. N word, black face, slavery jokes, mocking of #BlackLivesMatter. It was just too much and despite the many lovely people, decided this just didn't feel like home.

At 6th form and University I learned of one-nation Conservativism, Benjamin Disraeli what a hero, and realised retrospectively that was likely the type of Tory I would have become, in another universe. But the future is similar another universe, it's yet to be decided.

Do you think the Conservative Party can change or do you think it needs to, specifically in regards to issues regarding race and immigration

Happy Windrush 2020 day.

Don't worry. Once Brexit is done, the Tories can ignore the right wingers and be more like reasonable Cameron-era.

Reply 12

username1148663

21

Original post by Reformed2019

Hi, As a patriotic Briton, I was attracted to the grand mythos of the Conservative Party as a teen. I am the grandson of the Windrush generation and grew up with a great sense of self pride that my grandparents made the positive choice to come and invest in the United Kingdom, their motherland!

The Conservatives came across unashamed of their patriotism and defensive of what was considered British. Well I am British I thought and in the face of the racial and xenophobia my grandparents, my parents and now I was facing then surely I thought, this is the party for me. But event after event, especially the Windrush scandal that was caused by the hostile immigration policy I came to a dreadful conclusion.

This Conservative patriotism is conditional, increasingly nationalist and rather than an inclusive civic one it was an ethnic based. I met racial animosity from too many young Conservative activists. N word, black face, slavery jokes, mocking of #BlackLivesMatter. It was just too much and despite the many lovely people, decided this just didn't feel like home.

At 6th form and University I learned of one-nation Conservativism, Benjamin Disraeli what a hero, and realised retrospectively that was likely the type of Tory I would have become, in another universe. But the future is similar another universe, it's yet to be decided.

Do you think the Conservative Party can change or do you think it needs to, specifically in regards to issues regarding race and immigration

Happy Windrush 2020 day.

It happened under labour too, and the Lib Dem’s did nothing about it in the coalition so looks like you will have to support a very minor party or independent candidates if you exclude supporting a party over windrush.

Windrush Day 2020: Do you think the Conservatives will change?

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