News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

UK PM may lose next elections because he neglects minorities, critic says

16 August 2014
2 minute read

In an interview last weekend published by the Independent and The Sunday Times, former Deputy Foreign Secretary Sayeeda Warsi, who was once a co-chair of the governing Conservative Party, said British PM David Cameron’s party could lose the next elections because he neglects voters from ethnic minorities. Warsi had just resigned over her disagreement with the UK government’s policy on Gaza.  

"The electoral reality is that we will not win a majority for the Conservatives unless we begin attracting more votes from ethnic minorities," said Warsi, who comes from a Pakistani immigrant family and became the first Muslim woman to become a member of the British cabinet in 2010. The British media say her criticism has struck a sensitive spot for Cameron.  

Ethnic minorities comprise roughly 14 % of the electorate in Britain. Weak support from that voting bloc was one of the reasons Cameron’s party did not win a majority in the 2010 elections and had to go into a coalition with the more left-wing Liberal Democrats.

According to one survey, Conservatives were supported by only 16 % of ethnic minority voters in 2010. The main opposition Labour Party was supported by as many as 68 % of minority voters, Reuters reports.

Current public opinion polls show that Labour is ahead of the Conservatives by about four percentage points. The elections will take place next May.

As of 11 August, Cameron’s spokesperson did not want to comment on Warsi’s interview. He instead drew attention to a letter the PM had written expressing his regret that Warsi had decided to resign and thanking her for her work in the government.

Baroness Warsi is a member of the House of Lords. She recently announced that she had sent the PM her resignation "with great regret".

Warsi criticized British policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as "morally indefensible". She also said current policy "is not in the British national interest and will have a long-term impact on Britain’s domestic and international reputation."

Help us share the news about Romas
Trending now icon