Britain’s Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour Party of taking the country’s ethnic minority population for granted, launching on Tuesday a campaign pitched at these communities. The Liberal Democrats expressed hope that their stance on immigration and Brexit would help convince voters who have traditionally supported the Labour Party.
Speaking at an event in a synagogue in central London, party leader Tim Farron said the Labour’s decision to “wave the white flag on Brexit... and give [Prime Minister] Theresa May a blank cheque to choose the hardest and most divisive form of Brexit” could prove a decisive moment for ethnic minority voters, who felt unrepresented by either of the biggest political parties.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Farron slammed the government’s stance on visas for Indian citizens. “We know the disparities between Chinese and Indian visa access so there is an obvious unfairness that the government should have addressed but it is also foolish of the government not to seek the strongest possible economic and cultural ties with the biggest economy in the Commonwealth,” he said.
Less attractive
“Leaving the single market makes Britain a less attractive destination for people from anywhere, but particularly Commonwealth countries, and we will lose our pitch as a place where the Commonwealth and the EU meet. This is retrievable if we stay in the common market but certainly so if we get what we want, which is a referendum on the terms of the deal in two years time.”
Mr. Farron added: “If you are not interested in free trade with the biggest market in the planet [the EU] then you are sending a message that you are not interested in free trade and that will be heard in countries such as India and that worries me greatly. This election is a colossal opportunity to tell another story: and show Britain of the future can be a brighter and less bleak one that the Prime Minister is suggesting.”
He said politicians in both the Labour and Conservative parties had been willing to use language that demonised sections of the community. “We need to change the language and upfront say that from a British perspective immigration is a blessing and not a curse.”
South Asian communities have traditionally voted for the Labour Party, though over time, there has been a small shift towards the Conservatives, with the Liberal Democrats very much in the minority.
According to data gathered just before the 2015 election by Dr. Nicole Martin of Essex University, 65% supported the Labour, 27% the Conservatives and merely 3% the Liberal Democrats. However, the referendum made a difference — an analysis of the vote done for The Hindu by Dr. Stephen Fisher of Oxford University found that 59% of Indians voted for Remain, well above the national average.
‘Amazed by support’
“Campaigning over the weekend, we were amazed by the support we got,” said Rabi Martins, originally from Goa, who is standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Luton North, which includes a sizeable Indian population.
“Some of those who have been here for a long time are concerned about how minority communities are increasingly seen as toxic for the country, while businesses are concerned that their ability to trade will be damaged,” he said.
Hina Malik, a Pakistani-origin candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Feltham and Heston, said there had been an acknowledgement within the party that in the past, not enough had been done to reach out to the community. “I think this election will be a game changer.” Marisha Ray, a Bengali-origin candidate for Chipping Barnet, said: “I think it’s important to have a dialogue and show we are an inclusive society.” She said many within the Indian community were told things that were “completely untrue” during the Brexit referendum, and believes the remain vote could have been far higher than it was.
The Liberal Democrats have had two Asian-origin MPs to date — Parmjit Singh Gill, who represented Leicester South for a year in 2004-5, and Dadabhai Naoroji, who was an MP for the party’s predecessor, the Liberal Party.
The party is hopeful that it could soon have its first Asian woman MP through Pakistani-origin Amna Ahmad, who is standing in Sutton and Cheam, currently held by the Conservatives but which has swung between the two parties in the past.
