As a black voter whom the new 2022 Group presumably wishes to persuade of a transformation in the Conservative party, I am convinced only that they are delusional (‘Labour doesn’t seem to understand how it’s happening’: meet the new Black Tories, 7 January). They seem not to have noticed that their “broad church” has been haemorrhaging its more moderate members since 2019 (Anna Soubry, Rory Stewart, Amber Rudd etc), and expelling others (Kenneth Clarke) for failing to toe the doctrinaire line.
Their charge that the Labour party encourages victimhood rings equally hollow. Seemingly oblivious of his party’s reputation for engineering a hostile environment, one member of the group reminds us that “it takes a lot of courage to leave your country of birth to give yourself and your children a better life. Those are really strong conservative values. That’s part of our DNA.” Would that be the same DNA coursing through the veins of Suella Braverman and her reported intention to renege on government commitments to Windrush claimants?
To his credit, another member makes clear that he has no time for culture wars or the Rwanda deportation plans – but does it not matter that each of the most eminent non-white members of his party is a vocal culture warrior, fervent defender of the Rwanda scheme, and denier of structural racism? Conservatives may be proud of their ethnic diversity. But what does it matter if the party fails to introduce diverse opinion or diverse sensibilities? Perhaps they are only concerned with diversity that is skin deep.
Paul McGilchrist
Cromer, Norfolk
