Credit where credit is due

The situation has become so bad that we rarely believe politicians when they state: 'We'll get the trains to run on time. We'll cut hospital waiting lists. We'll bring down the levels of crime.' We shake our heads, and think, 'yeah, yeah, and this week I'll win the lottery'.

Why then should I believe the Leader of the Tory Party, Iain Duncan Smith (IDS) when he states, 'I want to attract more Black and Asian members to the party, more local councillors and candidates to stand as MPs.' After all what leader wouldn't say that?

I'm of the belief that you take a person at their word, until that is, they prove you wrong. IDS has an enormous task to challenge the party's old guard and where necessary force them to embrace new ways and new views within the party. If he is genuine then he should be afforded our support. What is encouraging from a Black perspective is the fact that IDS is driven not by a charitable imperative but rather by a political wake up call that acknowledges the power of the Black vote.

This was one of the key areas I raised with him during a meeting we (OBV) had with him last week. I also pointed out that although many African, Asian, Caribbean and other ethnic minority communities are small c conservatives, 85% vote Labour. This, I argued, was because many have felt that the Tory party has never liked Black people.

To turn this perception around, the Tory leader has to change the party and policies to reflect a multi-cultural, multi-dynamic society. A fundamental part of the process will be to ensure that there are Black faces in high places and in all other areas of the party structure.

Will it happen? Will the Tory party reinvent itself as Labour did after their '92 General Election defeat? We hope so. If we don't have strong inclusive opposition parties then the Labour party will pay scant regard to the concerns of Black Britons. A clear example of this was highlighted during the parliamentary debate about addressing the gender deficit by way of all-women short lists. During the many hours of discussion about having a more inclusive chamber, the lack of Black MPs was only mentioned twice, fleetingly.

Only when all political parities are fighting for the Black vote will they begin to effectively address our concerns. At the moment, in discussions about immigration and asylum, mobile phone thefts and arranged marriages, to list a few, Black people are at the forefront of their minds, but when it comes to tackling social injustice or, heaven forbid, affording us a seat at the decision making table, we are not even on the radar.

But in spite of the uphill struggle I sense a wind of change. Five days before the IDS meeting OBV met with the straight-talking, Labour Party Chair, Charles Clarke. Clarke set out his plan to increase the levels of Black MPs. He promised to audit the party, and set bold targets to improve numbers, he also accepted our plan to recruit and retain Black talent.

In all, the key factor is us. If we stand up and be counted we increase our political clout, particularly in areas where we hold the balance of power, and party bosses like IDS will have no option but to unshackle our community's potential.