Iain Duncan Smith: Get your skates on

In one of the key areas for change - greater BME representation within the party - the Tories have reverted to type selecting 28 new candidates, 22 white men and six women - all white. In their defence the party argue there are many more places up for grabs. 'It's very early days'.

It may be early days until the next General Election but what this process already highlights is the battle the Conservative Leader is losing with local party bosses who steadfastly refuse to address the BME deficit and to take the party into the 21st century.

It's not just at a local level where Duncan Smith is finding opposition. Tory bigoted dinosaur Lord Tebbit never loses an opportunity to undermine any attempt by Duncan Smith to modernise the party. More seriously was the removal of David Davis as party Chair and the resignation of his political advisor - both seen as modernisers, which leads one to believe that political survival and not political progress is the Leader's greatest concern.

Where now for Duncan Smith? Have the modernisers gone or were they part of the problem thwarting the leader? The other scenario could be that he just doesn't believe in the radical change that would help shift the negative perception many Black people have towards the Tories. Black people can only take so much rhetoric, after which it becomes insincere and ultimately an insult.

Whilst we rightly point the finger at the Tory Leader it must be said that the other two parties fare no better. The Labour Chair, Charles Clarke enthusiastically agreed with my diagnosis that the Labour Party should undertake a programme to recruit retain and promote BME talent with the party, he also informed that a BME audit and clear targets should be set.

And yet the lily-livered report that was to be the driving force for Labour change argued that 'the party in the future should have a discussion about whether or not targets were needed'. That's in stark contrast with the demands of some Labour female MPs who are demanding the party implement a strong positive proposal to address the lack of women in parliament.

Dealing with Liberal democrats is equally frustrating. Initially you are excited that the door to change is wide open only to find that it's a revolving door.

Dialogue with the parties will continue but we've come to the conclusion that this behind the scenes lobbying must be backed up with strong political pressure. That's why we have decided not to attend the party conferences this year, instead we will focus our attention on our own 'political assault on Westminster' events. Which will culminate in an unprecedented march on Westminster on the 10th anniversary of the death of Stephen Lawrence (April 22nd). The events will be launched during Black history month, the first being the Choice FM lecture in which the Reverend Al Sharpton will give a keynote address.

It is only by this direct action that can we force politicians to take our communities seriously. Political leaders know that morally they should be more inclusive and that our concerns are genuine. Yet in the hard-nosed world of politics morality counts for little. Your political clout or your vote is King.

Our democratic message to all the party leaders particularly Iain Duncan Smith is that after such promises not going forwarded on your plan to effectively engage with Black people and challenge the resistance within the party is to go backwards. A position that no Tory leader can afford if they are to have any aspirations to govern our country.