Tories woo minorities with an apology

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, OCT. 3. In an unprecedented bid to woo the ethnic minorities with an eye on next year's elections, the Conservative Party has apologised to them for appearing to be ``indifferent'' and even ``hostile'' to them.

At the same time, the former Prime Minister, Mr. John Major has joined the liberal voices in his party in asking the leadership to look beyond the right-wing stiff upper lips and reach out to other groups - ``the black and brown and yellow Britons who are as much a part of our society as I am.''

These are by far the strongest words spoken by an influential Tory leader on the race issue and together with the apology offered by the Shadow Home Affairs spokesman, Mr. John Bercow reflect the growing concern in the party that it has become too exclusivist, and that it cannot afford to sit back as Labour and Liberal Democrats run away with the ethnic vote.

The subject dominated the discussion on the fringes of the party's conference in Bournemouth on the opening day yesterday. Mr. Bercow, who made an unexpected appearance at a fringe meeting, was all sackcloth and ashes admitting that the Tories had not made a ``significant'' attempt to dispel the impression that they were hostile to blacks and Asians. ``We have not tried that hard'', he said adding that the party's record in giving election tickets to ethnic candidates had been ``unsatisfactory''. ``I am fully accepting culpability for an unsatisfactory record.''

Mr. Major ticked off the leadership for creating an impression that Tories were extremists and reminded the party chief, Mr. William Hague without naming him that it had had its ``greatest triumph when it reached out.'' ``We must reach out to all. The people in slums, the people in need, the people outside the circle of rising prosperity'', he said sending out a clear message that a ghetto mentality would not help it return to power.

The conference is proving to be a test of Mr. Hague's leadership with the ``Left'' within the party questioning his ``populist''style which they think lacks substance and long-term vision. The policy of picking up issues ``off the shelf'', as one leader put it, to suit the prevailing mood is seen as self- defeating in the long run. The party's promise to reduce fuel prices, raise pensions and spend more on health are regarded as an opportunistic response to the Blair Government's difficulties on these issues rather than a result of a well thought out policy.

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Section  : International
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