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Old/white/men: How do you make The Conservative Party more diverse?

Tryphena Absent

02:19 / 31.08.06

While the leader of the opposition might be a forward thinking young conservative of Blair's ilk (ouch), he hasn't managed or really had the opportunity to get rid of or shut up the people who are dragging the Conservative party consistently through the old fashioned mud of Westminster. I think this is his main problem because he can't possibly create a party perceived as socially forward when it's populated by a load of guys moaning about reforming the doddering beast into something a bit more reflective of society. That isn't such an issue though, whacking Teresa May out to complain about this is very sensible because she is famed for her hott shoes and is the acceptable face of the Tory party. The more she moans the more it deflects from the fact that Conservatives don't like it. As long as it sits well with the media friendly party members it can be overlooked a bit. In fact it's kind of the equivalent of Noel Gallagher, in that it's deflection from the core of the party, it undermines them, they're going for defeat of the oldies via the media. That's why old Gordon is bound to be the leader of the opposition and young, spritely Dave is going to be the Prime Minister.

Let's buy an island and get out of here. Who's with me?

Our Lady Won't Do That Again

19:56 / 31.08.06

I agree with Olulabelle, the political parties attract the kind of people that they benefit. If the party doesn't have enough black female disabled lesbian pregnant MPs that's not necessarily because there are colonels at the local level blocking them, although that may be an issue. The Tories should be selecting their candidates based on the blinkered prejudices of local parties, David Cameron should be doing no more than pointing out gently to them that this attitude is what's kept them out of power since 1997 and could keep them out longer. Imposed solutions like imposed candidates won't work. It needs a grassroots change.

On the other hand, selective culling of older Tories might be a more humane solution.

01:59 / 01.09.06

I don;'t think we should discuss this though, because it's possible we could come up with a workable solution.

06:14 / 04.09.06

New Tory - Tough on social spending, tough on the causes of social spending.

The thread could have read;

'Old/white/men: How do you make British Politics more diverse?'

or

'Old/white/men: How do you make heirarchical power structures more diverse?'

or

'Old/white/men: How do you make old/white/men more diverse?'

To my mind they are all the same oxymoron.

21:14 / 05.09.06

Which reasoning quickly brings us to the question of how to make Western civilization less old/white/male... is this an oxymoron too and if so whither the struggle for equality?

13:19 / 06.09.06

Last time I looked western civilization is far more diverse than that. Not being old or male I can attest to this.

The seats of power and their gate keepers are, however. Our leaders and their handlers do not define us (well me at least, and a few other poeple I know who wont mind me speaking for them). As for the struggle for equality, encouraging the evolution of the curent adveserial system of two party government and flattening hyrarchical power structures would be a start.