Some of you will have already seen Sayeeda on Newsnight a while ago arguing with extremists over the cartoons. And many of you were impressed.
Last night she made a similarly impassioned, reasonable and strong case on Question Time.
The Conservative Party is, when represented by people like her, a much better organisation. It can be seen to be reasonable, inclusive and right. Cameron is not the cause of this, either, in fact the Conservative Party has been getting more reasonable and less “nasty” since some time during Howard’s leadership.
It’s sad, then, that there are still candidates and prominent party members who represent the old, biggoted, religious zealot stereotype. People who would deny evolution, people who would espouse the superiority of one race or caste and people who would equate homosexuality with paedophilia.
In the main, and particularly in Parliament, the Conservative Party does not suit this stereotype, but it is time anyone who does is purged. The party can, and likely will, win the next election and its front-line workers will contribute as much as Cameron’s team to any success we have. But the potential for damage done locally should not be underestimated.
Anyone reading this who has doubts about the niceness of the Conservative Party or the belief in individual freedom should rest assured, the party (overall) has reached that ideal destination. Those on the fringes who breach levels of acceptability should be voted out by the public and should not be reselected by the Party. Those people should not concern the lay voter — we’ll have our house in order!
About Sayeeda:
- Conservative Party Profile
- Wikipedia entry
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