![No apology for racial slur: Cllr Warren Swaine [1.5217391304348]](http://www.obv.org.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/350x230/images/warren-swaine.jpg)
No apology for racial slur: Cllr Warren Swaine
Some senior Black Liberal Democrats are questioning whether or not they should be in a party that refuses to insist that one of its councilors should apologise for making a racial slur. Earlier this year Councillor Warren Swaine tweeted that Labour MP Chuka Umunna would claim "is it because I is black" as "defense” for being a muppet."
Swaine was suspended for five months but party activists question both local and national party as to why no apology has been forth coming from the disgraced Cllr. A number of senior Black members including Cllr Duanye Brooks, have suggested they might leave the party if it cannot deal with a simple case of a member making a racial slur and then being asked to apologise.
Speaking to OBV exclusively Cllr Lester Holloway said, ‘This is not just about Swaine, many of us in the party are completely frustrated with the lack of progress the party is making on the diversity front. These incidents remind us just how far we have to go both on a local and national level’.
It is incredible how local parties refuse to effectively deal with these simple matters. Even if Swaine didn’t mean to racially offend-which is hard to believe-when it is brought to his attention he should make a humble apology and undertake some race equality training so that, at the very least he doesn’t offend his Black constituents. It is also obvious that the local and national party should demand this of him too.
Simon Woolley
Picture: Cllr Warren Swaine
Comments
It shouldn't be taken that
It shouldn't be taken that Swaine is telling the truth when he claims that most local members back him. It's obvious they don't - nor do the wider public, from the comments pieces of the local papers. Maybe OBV should do some digging into the reasons why?
A New Labour Production.
This complete and total idiocy was what New Labour introduced during their time in office. The lack of action to racist matters was the policy deployed by the odious New Labour in its quest for more support from the working class White population.
"A number of senior Black members including Cllr Duanye Brooks, have suggested they might leave the party if it cannot deal with a simple case of a member making a racial slur and then being asked to apologise."
I hope they don't take this course of action. The best they can muster is to try and fight this problem within their party; leaving it would be giving in to racist politicans in British Politics.
"many of us in the party are completely frustrated with the lack of progress the party is making on the diversity front."
Racist problems in the work place gains a lot of strength when the political parties refuse to comply with the Race Relations Law. They should be setting the right example for others to follow. Can anyone please look at the three main political parties and tell me if they are really representative of the United Kingdom today? My answer is no.
"These incidents remind us just how far we have to go both on a local and national level’."
No matter how hard you try to forget the last odious New Labour Government, more sad stories like this continuously prop up. This sadly, is one of their many bad legacies. With their many attempts at undermining the RRA 1976 during their time in office, racism has re-emerged thanks to their many efforts at sustaining power as opposed to leading. In a democratic society that prides its self on being fair, many of the decent citizens in this country should punish any political party that ventures out of the realms of human decency, severly at the polls.
Can anyone please explain to me why Diane Abbott is not in New Labour's Shadow Cabinet?
"It is incredible how local parties refuse to effectively deal with these simple matters." "when it is brought to his attention he should make a humble apology and undertake some race equality training so that, at the very least he doesn’t offend his Black constituents."
Unfortunately, New Labour's reversed burden of proof has effectively redered that useless, and has taken away accountability for wrongful behaviour by people in positions of responsibility.
The last New Labour Government was clearly one of the worse things to happen to mankind.
Apology
This afternoon I have been sent the following statement, from a very credible source within the Liberal Democrat Party which is quoted as being Cllr Warren Swaine's apology.
"I would like to take this opportunity apologise for making derogatory comments during the BBC Question Time programme on the 27th January especially those relating to Chuka Umunna MP. I made a lot of comments that were insulting that night and I regret that.
In respect of one particular tweet, no offense was meant but I absolutely acknowledge that it was recklessly worded and liable to an interpretation that was never intended. For that I would like to offer my sincere apologies to Mr Umunna and to anyone else for any offence caused.
I take the values of the Liberal Democrats very seriously and as someone of mixed heritage myself, I can fully understand why it has upset many people. For that I offer an unreserved apology"
At this stage I will pass no comment on whether I believe that the 'apology' is sincere or not, nor can I say where it has actually be publicly published, but I can state that it originated from Cllr Swaine.
Labouring the point
Clowns such as Swaine were in effect before, during and after New Labour.
Yinka, we've been down this road before but I feel it must be stressed. New Labour was a pro-middle class concept. You should broaden your attack. With a handful of exceptions the ploys you consider as being for the "white working class" were about the white middle class.
The Mail and the Telegraph are not working class papers but often these were the papers (and admittedly the Sun which is) who were the biggest proponents of racialised rhetoric and did the most to undermine equalities and anti-racism.
"No matter how hard you try to forget the last odious New Labour Government, more sad stories like this continuously prop up. This sadly, is one of their many bad legacies".
As stated above, this is broader than their legacy. In fact to argue that "racism has re-emerged thanks to their many efforts at sustaining power" infers that prior to their governance racism had disappeared. Rubbish.
"The last New Labour Government was clearly one of the worse things to happen to mankind". Seriously? Of all the horrors that have happened to mankind this is up there? Wow.
"I hope they don't take this course of action. The best they can muster is to try and fight this problem within their party".
100% spot on. At least we agree on some things.
apology
Ruwan, I hope that this is from Swaine. It's a shame that all too often characters such as Swaine have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing.
I Know Where My Bread's Buttered.
"You should broaden your attack. With a handful of exceptions the ploys you consider as being for the "white working class" were about the white middle class."
Wrong! The ploy I was referring to, but, did not highlight, was about New Labour losing The Sun Newspaper's support; the main paper for the White Working Class. I am sure we can all remember how a certain senior minster within the New Labour fold swore at the editor of the mentioned paper for that reason.
"New Labour was a pro-middle class concept. You should broaden your attack."
If many Black and Minority Ethnic Citizens can claim to be middle-class or live like the middle-class , majority of who are White, then I might have broadened my scope in relation to this subject to cover that angle.
"The Mail and the Telegraph are not working class papers but often these were the papers (and admittedly the Sun which is) who were the biggest proponents of racialised rhetoric and did the most to undermine equalities and anti-racism."
You might want to add the Daily Express to that group as well. As a government, New Labour did more to undermine equalities and anti-racism by interfering with the Race Relations Act of 1976, pushing Tervor Phillips forward to fool all Minority Ethnic Citizens - via the Daily Mail - that racism was a thing of the past, by severly undermining Minority Ethnic Citizens even further with the treatment meted out to Paul Boateng which at best was lamentable; I don't know whether to add the deplorable treatment of Diane Abott during the run for the leadership of the party to this party's extremely, and direct racist acts. The list of New Labour's disrespectful and condescending acts is so long I simply don't know where to end.
"In fact to argue that "racism has re-emerged thanks to their many efforts at sustaining power" infers that prior to their governance racism had disappeared. Rubbish."
In 1976, the RRA was passed through Parliament. In 1979 we had a Conservative Government which lasted till 1997. Within this space of time, the RRA was effective even though there was still racism in our society. From 1997 - under the odious, reprehensible and repellent New Labour Government, the following - amongst many wrongful doings was acted out:
1. The illegal invasion, under the banner of deception which New Labour pride themselves on, of a non - white nation (Iraq); undermining the UN in the process.
2. The constant interfering with the RRA 1976; which has now been severly weakened.
3. The complete disgraceful behaviour of Jack Straw on Question Time with Nick Griffin (BNP) when New Labour were trying so hard to hide their own racism when Minority Ethnic Citizens were leaving the party in droves citing New Labour's dogged refusal to act on complaints of racism.
4. The introduction of the Burden of Proof which made Race Discrimination Claims unwinnable; which can only be described as an imoral act.
5. The complete discarding of the RRA questionnaire to employers which was effective in curtailing racism within the place of employment.
These are just a number of real and proper direct racist acts by that deplorable New Labour Government. It is not about whether racism stopped before New Labour and re-emerged after it, it is the damage that was done within their thirteen years in power that should be focused on; it without a doubt had contributed significantly to the out burst of Cllr. Swaine.
""I hope they don't take this course of action. The best they can muster is to try and fight this problem within their party".
100% spot on. At least we agree on some things."
Not entirely. Even though they try to fight a problem that has only existed because the last government (New Labour) had been very pro-racism, and had put a lot of effort into making society accept such nonsense as friendly banter (Trevor Phillips), their efforts would at best be tantamount to flogging a dead horse. They wouldn't achieve anything.
The flow of comments are
The flow of comments are informative. Obviously this was about elections, not issues.
Lib Dem Racists
So if a Liberal Democrat makes a racist comment, that is new labour's fault? Sheesh.
And Diane Abbott diddnt get a majority of votes among Labours BAME voters, in face she barely scraped double figures. She isnt in the shadow cabinet because she diddnt win the elections to them.
Mad ranting like yours is the reason no one will take OBV seriously.
Re Apology
Simon,
re "Ruwan, I hope that this is from Swaine. It's a shame that all too often characters such as Swaine have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing"
I am as certain as I can be that the Cllr Swaine was involved in writing the apology.
The time has now come for the Liberal Democrat Party to demonstrate that it is an 'Anti-Racist' organisation, and it should not only support the equality and diversity agenda in word, but also in deed. We cannot afford to defend or hide from view people who do not support the core tenets of the Party, and who choose define the word "fairer", in a different manner to that meant by the Party mantra of "Building a fairer Britain".
There are many people within the Party, including those within the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats who wish to move the equality and diversity agenda forward, and to change the culture of the Party so that it is reflective of 21st Century Britain, but they are hindered by the misperception amongst those, that already believe themselves to be thoroughly 'right on' and totally inclusive.
I remain hopeful though that the Party will change for the better, but ultimately if it chooses a different path, then I am pretty sure that many current members will vote with their feet and walk away.
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