British Chinese event highlights need for constitutional reform

The British Chinese Project deserve a lot of praise for organising a General Election Chinese Question Time last night.

It was held at the very impressive China Exchange, a new purpose-built venue in the heart of Chinatown, funded by Sir David Tang.  So it was appropriate that Sir David gave a speech opening the event, and even more appropriate were his critical remarks about the outdated first-past-the-post electoral system.

The panel represented the four main parties, and chairman Jonathan Man gave each member complete parity of time and respect.  It was an impressive panel: James Chan, Green Party Candidate for St Helens South; Steven Cheung, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Walthamstow; Ashton McGregor, vice-chair of Chinese for Labour; and Johnny Luk, advisor to the Chinese Friends of the Conservatives.

Michael Wilkes, vice chair of the British Chinese Project, introduced the panel and gave the closing remarks during which he stressed the non-partisan role of the BCP and announced that post the election, they would be launching a Manifesto for changing the political system to reflect the interests and numbers of Chinese living and working in and contributing to this country.

Despite their differences, every speaker agreed on the importance for the Chinese to end their political apathy and vote. Each was a fervent supporter of democracy as was everyone in the large and well informed audience.

I thanked the BCP for their support and assistance during the OBV voter registration bus tour of the UK. I also stressed the importance of growing the alliance between OBV, representing as it does all under-represented minorities, and the BCP, since our goals are virtually identical and our increasing numbers will make it more likely those goals will be achieved.

The most pressing goal is constitutional reform so our democratic system reflects the diversity of Britain, and ends racial inequality by  replacing outdated class-based politics with a system that enables the electorate to support the party which most represents their interests, lifestyles and desire to succeed. This will require root and branch change, including replacing the first-past-the-post system; reforming the second chamber; devolving more power to the regions; making MPs and Peers truly representative and answerable to the electorate and ridding the system of the patronage of big business and other unrepresentative elites.

A thoroughly purged democracy will be fairer, more efficient and more reflective of our diverse society. It will also reverse the dangerous apathy and antipathy to our current democracy which OBV and the BCP witnessed as the OBV bus toured the country.

British Chinese Candidates :

• Sarah Owen, Labour Candidate for Hasting and Rye
• Rebecca Blake, Labour Candidate for Redditch
• Xingang Wang, Conservative Candidate for Manchester Central
• Jackson Ng, Conservative Candidate for Liverpool Riverside
• Mark Lim, Conservative Candidate for Ilslington South and Finsbury
• Edward He, Conservative Candidate for Aberavon
• Steven Cheung, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Walthamstow
• Philip Ling, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Tooting
• Alex Payton, Liberal Democrat Candidate for North West Hampshire
• James Chan, Green Party Candidate for St Helens
• Alan Mak, Conservative Candidate for Havant

Photo: Sir David Tang

Paul Hensby