Galloway’s victory: A warning for Black candidates?

There will be a lot of questions asked about the ‘stunning’ victory of Respect leader George Galloway. Some will focus on whether or not he ran a sectarian campaign. Others will point to the main-stream political parties being out of touch with working class communities, Black or white. In all likelihood none of the debates will effectively unpick why a Muslim Labour candidate from the local area lost so spectacularly to a white Scottish candidate from a fringe party.

Our organisation prides itself on promoting greater diversity within Westminster and beyond. However, in recent elections, the ethnic diversity of new MPs has not translated to more voices raising issues that concern BME communities. On the contrary. In recent months too many BME politicians have either been silent about shocking levels of black youth employment; the rise of Islamaphobia; demonization of Black youths in regards last summers civil disturbances; and deaths in police custody;or they are colluding with the status quo.

The reality is that all main-stream Party political systems are, by and large, only allowing through politicians who will tow the political line. In terms of BME MPs this doubly true. This situation is never good but particularly harmful during an economic downturn in which certain individuals, newspapers and some politicians will look to use BME communities as scapegoats.

Love him or loathe him Galloway rode into Bradford as a conviction politician. He clearly appealed to the Muslim vote but also the disenfranchised white working class vote too. Yes, he comes with some celebrity status, but what also worked in his favour was that his nearest rival was seen as just another professional politician who would barely move the Richter scale when it comes to being a fighter for political and social change.

For example, when community groups such as Just West Yorkshire held hustings meeting for all the candidates, the Labour candidate Imran Hussain refused to attend. The word was out: he was either afraid of Galloway, or he didn’t want to listen to community groups, or both. Either way, the meeting went ahead and Galloway had a free reign.

Galloway’s victory might be a one off, nevertheless, it should be a wake-up call to the political parties and particularly BME candidates. If the political parties want to reconnect with the people, they seek to serve they have got to move away from only selecting those who seek to be professional politicians. Too many are careerist and lack fortitude that would allow them to swim against a political tide. The question for BME candidates is even more pressing. As they say in America: they might be our skin folk but they are not our kin folk’.

Now more than ever we need them to be both. As a result, it will ultimately be good for the parties and even better for a diverse British politics.

Simon Woolley