The first Asian woman MP?
It was the seat which senior Conservatives believed would only pick “a white, middle-class male”. But Tories in Witham, Essex have wrongfooted their critics by choosing an Asian woman as their candidate – rejecting a sitting MP in the process.
Priti Patel beat James Brokenshire, MP for Hornchurch, to the right to stand in the new constituency, which the Conservatives should win with ease at the next election. [Guardian]
If elected at the next General Election, Priti Patel will be the first Asian woman MP in the country I believe. That is providing Sayeeda Warsi does not tip her to the post. I also hear that Labour is planning to put up a young-ish Asian woman in Southall after Piara Khabra abdicates his little fiefdom. Or maybe Rupa Huq if she gets a good seat?
A Tory party member called me today to declare (a bit too eagerly): “see, we are not the nasty party any longer!” Priti Patel was elected by 300 local constituency members, not just dropped in by senior party members. So there is still hope yet.
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Good news – Priti Patel is a good candidate and a good person. I hope that Southall gets a good replacement for Comrade Khabra too — should be a local person whoever it is, and if a woman, so much the better.
A Tory party member called me today to declare (a bit too eagerly):“see, we are not the nasty party any longer!”
A bit too prematurely too.
Anas,
Don’t be so cynical. Dave wants sunshine to win. He’s probably pro-kitten too, although policy details are scant.
Actually, I can’t see why the Tories want to be seen as ‘nice’. The Libdems have held that image for years (although at ground level are as down-and-dirty as the rest) and it hasn’t translated into votes.
I don’t think that it’s so much that they want to be seen as the nice party as they just don’t want to be the nasty, hypocritical, sleazy, narrow-minded, little-Englander, party…which they are.
On a related note, I can’t wait till the Scottish elections so that the Scots can kick Labour’s flabby asses over Iraq. The tories have no chance up here either. Heh, I love being Scottish.
Anas,
I’ll drink to both of those posts.
Finally about 116-7 years after the first male Asian British MP, we are gonna have a female Asian MP! That’s progress.
It is, too.
Yeah, the quicker Scotland becomes independent, the better for the rest of us. I’ll drink to that too
For the first time in my life I’m seriously thinking of voting SNP.
Rupa Huq would make a great MP for Kingston. Shame the constituency has always voted non-Labour in the past – our Labour candidates are the ones who’d do the best job.