Namaste!
In the last 12 years that the Conservative Party has been in power in the United Kingdom, we have a number of commendable achievements. Wiping out Gordon Brown’s deficit, defeating Ed Miliband, successfully running the first British coalition government in nearly a century under David Cameron. More recently of course, under Boris Johnson we got Brexit done, ending three years of standstill and policy paralysis in Parliament (and notably seeing off the threat of a far-left government led by Jeremy Corbyn, however distant the prospect of that might have been looking at it retrospectively). Irrespective of whether you support Brexit or not, it was a substantial achievement to get Parliament moving again.
Today, however, I want to talk about one of the most substantial and far-reaching changes made by the Conservatives – the considerable diversity of the Parliamentary front bench, and the resulting diversity of the Tory leadership race. Contrast the diverse and thoroughly modern Tory front bench with a Labour counterpart that is markedly less diverse. It is unfortunately the case that minority ethnic groups had been struggling for representation at the very highest levels of British politics. That, thankfully, is a thing of the past – at least for the Tories! In the aftermath of the changes made by David Cameron and George Osborne in 2005, the Conservative Party better represents the people that elect it as a party of government, although there is always room for further improvement. This reflects our modernity and willingness to embrace change. That is of course, one of the main reasons why we are so electorally successful. We stand for equal and better opportunity for all, irrespective of ethnic background or location and we have proven this time and again through the diversity of our Parliamentary intake at all levels since. This is a testament to the success of the modernisation project launched by David Cameron in 2005.
As has been mentioned often in the public discourse, the Tories have given Britain its first Indian origin Chancellor and Home Secretary (Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel) under the leadership of Boris Johnson. This is historic, besides being a great sign of how much British Indians are valued for their diligence, tenacity, and competence. It is also great for the continued outreach to India, a rising democratic superpower and critical partner for the UK for a long time to come.
The ongoing Conservative leadership race, which will culminate with a new Prime Minister on 5th September is also a seminal moment in British history, as it is the first time that an ethnic minority former Cabinet Minister, Rishi Sunak, has made it to the final two in the race for the highest office in the UK. This is a matter of considerable pride and passion for much of the British Indian community. Irrespective of who wins in the end, it is a clear sign that both Britain and the Party have changed for the better. From having a hostile attitude to immigrants, to increasingly welcoming the most talented and hardworking immigrants to climb the socio-economic and political ladder. As ever, it is the Conservatives that are at the forefront of this important change. It demonstrates that the Conservatives are by far the most modern and forward looking of all Britain’s political parties. Two women Prime Ministers, the first Indian origin Home Secretary, the first Indian Chancellor and now potentially the first British Indian origin Prime Minister. Whichever way one looks at it, that is a commendable list of firsts! The Labour Party and the British Left, which loves to talk about diversity and equality of opportunity, has no answer to this. The Tories by contrast have walked the talk. A significant number of the candidates that ran for the leadership were also of ethnic minority origin – this is hopefully an important turning point in UK politics.
Conservative Friends of India is proud to have been selected to host both of the leadership candidates, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak (on August 10th and 22nd respectively) for Question and Answer sessions, reflecting the importance of the British Indian community to both candidates. Despite being only approximately 1% of the population, Britons of Indian origin have contributed tens of billions to the British economy, underlining the exceptional work ethic that they possess. The growing success and political prominence of British Indians is reflected in growing British Indian support for the Conservatives, as a recent Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report highlighted. The British Indian vote, long slanted towards Labour, is no longer a monolithic block.
Labour has historically taken the BAME vote for granted. That is no longer an issue with the Conservatives. Our more diverse demographic make-up among MPs and Party supporters is being reflected by greater British Indian support. It is difficult to predict the future with any certainty, let alone in politics, but gazing into the proverbial crystal ball will probably show not only an increased number of business minded British Indians voting Conservative, but also progressive minded and more prosperous middle-class British Indians voting Conservative as well. This will take the percentage of British Indians potentially voting Conservatives reaching around 60%. That would be a huge gain, with very real electoral implications for Labour whose votes tend to be more concentrated in areas with significant minority populations, including British Indians.
The trend of British Indian people joining the Conservative Party and ascending to almost the highest levels of its power structure is something to be celebrated, encouraged, and accelerated. It shows that Conservatism is a robust force that can appeal to minority communities and expand its electoral appeal. There are global economic and geopolitical tailwinds approaching, with inflation, conflict in Ukraine and possibly East Asia to come, it is important to have a competent, diverse, and ever-changing Conservative Party in government. Irrespective of whether you support Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss, the Conservatives are the best bet to deliver serious leadership and ideas in challenging times.
