Cllr. Gavin Ayling

The trouble with race relations is not the actions of ethnic minorities, it’s not even the actions of the BNP and other racists, it’s the actions of white do-gooders.

“You know,” said one Brighton & Hove Council Officer to another “what would be a great idea? If we only allowed coloured people to apply for a job in our museum.”

She must have continued “There are far too many white people working in Brighton’s Museum and everyone knows that our interviewers are pro-white racists so, rather than tackling that, let’s just interview only non-white people!”

This is how Kieron Keenan was told he may not apply for a job at Brighton Museum according to the article by Rob Hustwayte in today’s Argus (no permalinks, hence no link).

And on their first day at work the new researcher at Brighton Museum will feel good inside that they got a job, not on merit, but because of the self-righteous bigots who decided that the Race Relations Act should be misused in this way.

The Brighton & Hove Black History Project thinks it is acceptable to try and ensure a “more representative” workforce. What utter, undisguised, racist nonsense!

Ohhhh, I’m going all Daily Mail!

With this one action we have:
- Made Chinese/African/Asian/Afro-Caribbean applicants feel that they need help to get a job
- Illustrated that Brighton & Hove City Council do not believe in merit
- Illustrated that even if they did believe in merit, they don’t trust their interviewers to employ based on it
- Made white moderates angry
- Made ethnic minorities (who are, afterall, a homogenous group) angry
- Given white extremists even more ammunition
- Effected the life of Kieron Keenan
- Damaged race relations
- Brought disrepute on the Race Relations Act (though that was self-inflicted).

David Cameron had better not ever come out in favour of positive discrimination.

I may need to edit this post later, but that’s how I feel now.

I would normally link to an article but the Argus in Brighton has a strange policy of having no permalinks. Anyway, below is an article from today’s online Argus:

Tories welcome gay flag

by Miriam Wells

Conservative councillors have called for the lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rainbow flag to be flown from council buildings more frequently.

This is despite the condemnation of gay sex as “unnatural” by one of their members.

Earlier this year, Brighton and Hove city councillor, Peter Willows, wrote to The Argus condemning the council for flying the LGBT flag to mark International Day Against Homophobia (Idaho).

Coun Willows, who is now facing potential criminal charges for homophobic remarks made at an official council gathering, wrote: “Why should any country have to fly a flag because of men sleeping together to have sex? And also women sleeping together to have sex? In my world that does not justify flying any flag. It’s an unnatural act.”

But now his party has proposed a motion specifically praising the flying of the flag. It also suggested it be done more frequently.

A motion to be considered by full council tomorrow, calls for local, national and international events be marked by flag flying.

The motion states: “The council’s solidarity with Idaho has set a welcome precedent for other events to be celebrated in the same manner.

“Festivals from other countries and faiths should also be celebrated with the flying of an appropriate flag.

“Events of considerable local importance should also be marked, for example the LGBT rainbow flag could be flown on the first working day of Pride.”

It commends the council’s flying of flags on St George’s Day, the Queen’s birthday and Remembrance Day and suggests events such as World Environment Day, International Women’s Day, and big match days for Albion could be marked by flying flags.

The motion also calls for a flagstaff and bench to be put at a prominent place in the city, such as the Old Steine.

Critics called the Conservative group “hypocritical” for attempting to promote council solidarity with the LGBT community while refusing to withdraw the whip from their openly anti-gay member Coun Willows.

A comment he made at an official council function, that all gay people were paedophiles, is currently being studied by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Conservative group have suspended him from committees pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, but have not withdrawn the whip from him and have allowed him to continue ward councillor duties.

Labour council leader Simon Burgess said: “They might like to look at what’s been done in the past as we already fly the rainbow flag for Pride.

“The idea that they are leading calls for the flag to be flown is just not true.”

Conservative leader Brian Oxley said: “The flag motion was something the Conservative group discussed before Coun Willows made his comments. It is entirely separate from the issue of Coun Willows.”

David Harvey, co-owner of gay magazine 3Sixty, said: “It is a shallow gesture. The Tories are making the right steps but have to sort out their problems in the group.”

Councillor Willows was democratically elected and, so, for what that’s worth he should remain. But there’s absolutely no way he should retain the Conservative whip — especially now he’s making unacceptable comments while sober.

I know Councillor Willows and he was my local Councillor when I joined the party, so I am disappointed that he retains 1980s views that have no basis in pragmatism, fairness or reason.

Councillor Willows should not be voted for in the next Council elections (if the party continue with him as their candidate)…