The general election takes place this strong and most commentaries are concerned with the permutations that will result from the likely hung parliament. Conversely, there are those observers that assert that those parties with the right type of strategic foresight can secure themselves an outright victory. Lee Jasper, writing on the Operation Black Vote (OBV) website on April 27th (“David Cameron is right: we will soon have Black PM in No.10”) argues: “The time when the BME vote could be ignored or taken for granted is gone and our politics has undergone a quiet and yet profound, cultural transformation. OBV’s research has demonstrated that the changing demography of this country means that, over the course of the last five years we have emerged as one of the key strategic constituencies, whose support is necessary for any party seeking to win the election.” His argument takes its cue from the OBV Power Of The Black Vote in 2015 report, that indicated that the BME electorate could decide over 160 Westminster seats in the 2015 General Election. In other words, we hold the balance of power in the election.However, there are a number of factors that could conspire to scupper the BME electorate’s opportunity to transform the political landscape of the UK. One of these is the reluctance of some in the community to vote. On a recent visit to the UK, USA activist Rev Al Sharpton described those who fall into this category as “lazy and ungrateful.” Columnist forThe Voice newspaper Dotun Adebayo (16/02/15), goes even further: “Black people who don’t vote deserve a koof in the neck back and the revulsion of the rest of us. They are outcasts, underserving of respect. They are not just idiots they are agents of the devil who will not lift a finger for black people.” Using this logic, those who don’t even register to vote, as highlighted by actor David Harewood in his ‘Why I’m urging black and Asian Brits to vote’ article for The Guardian(16//04/15) must be of an even lower caste: “Among white Britons, the proportion not registered to vote is about 8%; for racial minorities this figure rises to 24%; and staggeringly, among those of African origin, as many as 50% are not registering.”
What this statistic reveals is something arguably not emphasised by the likes of OBV – the usefulness of the “BME” (“Black and Minority Ethnic”) category when the profiles of its constituents are so diverse (this could even apply to the Afrikan community in and of itself). The basic assumption that all elements of the BME grouping share similar objectives and agendas may need some more interrogation. Some may go even further query the fundamental logic ‘power of the black vote’ argument in the absence of an established, agreed Afrikan agenda (or even a BME one – which at best could only follow). Thus it could even be seen that without this agenda, there is no ‘Black vote’ (and therefore no power) just Afrikans voting individually. Other advocates go as far as to suggest that not voting could be a strategy as it withholds endorsement of a political system generally regarded a corrupt.
Representation on the other side of the ballot box has also been touted as a means to engage political engagement. Interestingly, the Conservatives, once regarded as the “nasty party” lead the way in this election with 11% of their candidates with a BME background. This is 2% more than Labour, for generations seen as the “party for Black people.” Now their representation is even less than the Liberal Democrats (10%). It may also be worth noting that the “black faces in high places” scenario doesnt necessarily deliver dividends for the masses of the people – the economic decline for Afrikan people, not the mention the undeclared war by the police in the USA in the last seven years is a cautionary tale.
So we ask the question:
Do we really hold the balance of power in the upcoming election?
- Will you be voting in the election?
- Are those that don’t vote “lazy,” “ungrateful,” “outcasts”?
- Can we really wield any power or influence in the absence of an agreed agenda?
- Is the BME category useful?
- Is voting an endorsement of a corrupt system?
- Do more Afrikan faces in the political sphere make a difference?
- What is the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament position on voting and the election?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK. A veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence
Bro. Luwezi Kinshasa: is the Secretary-General of the African Socialist International (ASI),. Born in Congo, he is currently exiled in Britain as one of the tens of thousands of Africans from Congo who were forced into political exile by the Mobutu regime. He speaks and organizers throughout Europe and in Afrika, working to liberate and unite Africa and African people everywhere.
Sis. Lorna Campbell: has a long track record in community activism and has worked for a number of credit unions. Sis. Lorna is a former Lambeth Councillor and Cabinet Member for Equalities and Communities.
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