Do young black people stand a chance in Westminster?

Lester Holloway, a former member of Operation Black Vote and secretary to the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats, said he was upset by comments made to him on a Lib Dem forum. And he was angered further by what he said was the failure of his fellow members to stand up to them.

But Mr Holloway, who was also editor of the New Nation newspaper and a Lib Dem councillor in the London Borough of Sutton, suggested that the incident was the tip of the iceberg. He is also believed to be unhappy about the level of representation of black people within the party – and politics in general.

Of the 376 prospective parliamentary candidates for next year’s general election listed by the three main parties, only a handful are black.

Although the figure will rise in the coming months as sitting MPs declare their candidacies, the issue remains contentious within Westminster and beyond the political world.

‘Stereoptype’

Amariah Watson, 19, from London, said she felt black people were under-represented in politics, which she said was reserved mainly for white men from privileged backgrounds.

“We’re not taken seriously and the media also enforces that,” she told Channel 4 News.

“However, my personal experience as a member of the black community, is that we challenge and involve ourselves in politics in our own way – through music, dance and spoken word, for example.

“That’s how we interact with politics because the moment we decide to actively protest – for example, by marching – we’d still feel restricted in tackling a politics that is enforced by police.

“I don’t see politics as a desirable career because I feel we aren’t taken seriously enough as a black community. Our achievements aren’t acknowledged as they should be and we’re put under constant stereotype.”

‘Superficial’

Jameela Raymond, 24, from London, said that she would not consider getting into politics because she was concerned she would simply be expected to represent ethnic minorities.

“I can represent a certain section of black women but I wouldn’t want to be the poster person to speak on minority issues because I cannot explain a lot of them and I wouldn’t want to pretend to” she said.

“Parties put their black MPs out there when they feel awkward about the debate and want to cover their backs, it’s so obvious and fake. It pushes me away.

“It is very superficial and tokenist if black MPs are only there to cover their parties’ backs. I wouldn’t want to get into politics because I wouldn’t want to feel that I was there just to represent all black people.”

She added that a “sense of rage” at their under-representation had given over to a sense of apathy among young black people, who she said have “given up on politics as a means of change”.

‘Pool of insiders’

Samir Jeraj, 29, who identifies as mixed race and served as a councillor in Norwich between 2008 and 2012, said that Westminster politics is bound to under-represent ethnic minorities because it draws from a small pool of “insiders” that is mainly white.

Conservative delegates at the party’s conference in September. Less than 4 per cent of the Tory MPs elected in 2010 were of BME background – ahead of the Lib Dems but behind Labour.

Both the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats said they had strong records in selecting candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds. A Labour spokesman said that it was important to consider whether or not black and minority ethnic (BME) candidates were given safe seats.

Clive Lewis, its candidate in Norwich South, for example, has a majority of 310 votes to overturn when he stands against the Liberal Democrat incumbent Simon Wright.

Both the Conservatives and Lib Dems are standing a black candidate in the safe Labour seat of Lewisham Deptford – Bim Afolami and Michael Bukola, respectively.

I am resigning from the @libdems over the toleration by some members of appalling racism towards Africans.

— Lester Holloway (@brolezholloway) October 29, 2014

Mr Holloway announced his decision to resign from the Liberal Democrats on Wednesday and tweeted that there were “too many angry white men dominating Lib Dem online spaces”.

He was angered by a commenter who he said suggested that Africans “do not know what a toilet is”. Other Lib Dem supporters have claimed that the commenter was not a party member. And the commenter later denied racism, writing: “at no point did I claim that all africans are unaware of toilets”.

But Mr Holloway tweeted: “That wasn’t the point, this was the last straw, it’s been going on too long.”

When contacted by Channel 4 News, Mr Holloway declined to comment further.

Leadership programme

A Liberal Democrat spokesman said the party has done a “huge amount to try and ensure the people who are elected reflect the people they represent”.

The spokesman said: “Nick Clegg launched our leadership programme several years ago, which is designed to support future candidates from under-represented groups through training, mentoring and shadowing opportunities.

“Over two thirds of participants on the party’s leadership programme are female and a third from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds.

Our achievements aren’t acknowledged as they should be and we’re put under constant stereotype. Amariah Watson, 19.

“This is now starting to have a real impact on our candidate selections and we now have 17 BME candidates selected with seven of the 10 candidates replacing retiring MPs in this cycle coming from under-represented group.”

A Labour spokesman said that the party had 25 candidates who identified as members of the broader British minority ethnic group, which includes all ethnicities other than white.

“Labour has the best record of any party in selecting BME candidates, with more ethnic minority MPs, MEPs, and local councillors than any other party. Labour has taken the lead in tackling under-representation and increasing diversity in politics,” the spokesman said.

“We know there is always more to do and we will continue to work hard to ensure that we break down the barriers to political participation.”

The Conservatives declined to comment.