'Whites' to be banned from running for Parliament?

[Nemesis Enforcer]

White candidates should be barred from standing for Parliament in up to eight constituencies in order to get more black and Asian MPs elected, says a controversial report commissioned by Labour's deputy leader, Harriet Harman. Positive discrimination is illegal in the UK, but the report concludes that, without a change in the law allowing parties to impose all-black shortlists, it would take more than 75 years for Britain's ethnic make-up to be fairly reflected at Westminster. The findings come amid questions over Britain's failure to develop a home-grown equivalent of Barack Obama, the black presidential hopeful. Although there have been three black cabinet ministers since 1997 - Paul Boateng and Valerie Amos, both of whom have since moved on, and Baroness Scotland, the Attorney General - no politician of the stature of Obama, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or her predecessor, Colin Powell, has emerged. Harman is understood to be still considering the report's findings in detail, but has expressed personal support for a change. Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote and the author of the review, said talented candidates were not 'getting past go' at the moment. 'The change in the law is not a sledgehammer to crack a nut; it's not forcing parties to use all-black shortlists,' he said. 'But unless we take positive action measures we are not going to have a representative democracy for more than 75 years. It's not that we don't have Obamas, but we don't have the mechanisms for them to see the light of day.' His report is understood to conclude that all-black shortlists would be needed for two decades, after which talented candidates could be expected to make it on their own. It identifies 100 constituencies with large ethnic minority communities as prime targets for shortlists, but concludes that positive discrimination would be needed in only four to eight of those seats for four elections in a row to ensure that the proportion of ethnic minority MPs matches the proportion in the population. Woolley's findings are likely to be controversial, with any proposal to change the law risking a rough ride in the Commons. Last week, former minister Keith Vaz introduced a backbench bill proposing all-black shortlists, which was instantly condemned by Tory backbencher Philip Davies as 'politically correct' and divisive. However, Vaz is lobbying Harman for the measure to be included in a bill on equality issues later this year - meaning it could be on the statute book by 2009. 'She is the person who has a huge history of supporting these issues,' he added. Woolley said that a change in the law could help the Tories by putting David Cameron's A-List - a pool of candidates, many of them women or from ethnic minorities, singled out for the fast track to the irritation of some white men - on a firm legal footing. His report was commissioned by Harman last autumn to examine the merits of positive discrimination. Only 2 per cent of MPs are black or Asian, compared with more than 7 per cent of the general population.

Credit: Guardian.co.uk

This is idiotic in the extream and would not work if it was imposed, for a start they have tried this sort of scheme before with a 'women only' shortlist and the winner of that seat was a man who ran as an indipendant against the imposition of all women shortlists

[Laffy]

Also is that not being racist to the whites and harming their civil liberties by not being able to stand, just a thought. People choose who they want yellow, black rainbow coloured put yourself forward and they will vote for the best candidate or it should be that way.

[Omega]

I hate Keith Vaz, he's always spoutting these positive discrimination bullshit ideas. So a thick black man makes a better politician than a qualified white man because he "represents" his race how?

[G2G]

I would love to see more Black and Asian people in Parliament, but this isn't the right way to go about it. I cant believe Harriet Harman can be so stupidly naive.

[Ravenmark]

Farcical.

That's all that's needed to be said.

Can you imagine the uproar if it was decided that in a predominately black or asian community, that should only be white candidates to run for parliament?!

Bollocks.

[Al Stevens]

Sorry that comes across as Racist. I mean you could imagen the up cry if a white Parliament member had came up with the idea.

[The Beltster]

Jesus Christ, what a load of sh*t. Why is this woman even allowed to open her mouth as she is obviously retarded?!

There is a reason why more white people do pretty much EVERYTHING in Britain, and thats because....hold on...get ready now....there are more white people in Britiain, because British people are, for the most part...WHITE!

This nonsense is like saying black people shouldnt be able to run in Africa, and Asian people cant in China

Completely ridiculous. Honestly, every day this country becomes more and more f*cked up.

And another thing: Whats this "it will take 75 years for ethnic minorities to be FAIRLY reflected in Westminster" or whatever? FAIRLY?! So white people cant fairly make rules for black or Asians, and vice versa? Are you saying we NEED to have black people in charge for black people to get a fair break? Thats such a load of complete crap.

I dont care who is in charge, white, black, Asian or f*cking green, they are all liars and thieves, and nothing ever changes.

Harriet Harmon is old enough to know better than to make such stupid remarks. Also, she is just bringing another race dispute up. Last time I looked, most people didnt look at or judge others by the colour of their skin, and every day we are told by the government that racist actions will NOT be tolerated, that race DOESNT MATTER...yet here they are making a big deal out of it...AGAIN!

They ought to put me in charge of Britain, I'd straighten it out in a f'n week

[ScottyB]

Im moving somewhere that hasn't gone PC mad.

I'm seriously begining to despise this country we live in.

From what I understand, they're trying to make us more like the US.

[Ray]

Well damn it I completely agree with that article. Stupid white people, I'd hate to be white.

[Al Stevens]

It's times like this i wish someone would just blow up the Westminster and start all over again. This is all the Labour partys fault.

New Labour.... Try the new Nazi party