I've never voted Labour, I've always stuck to my principles of following a liberal ideology, even if it has meant voting for a party, and an ideology, that has got a drubbing recently, not just in the UK but throughout the world. In the recent local elections in the UK, I cast my vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate in London (she got a whopping 4% of the vote in the end!), but as we also get a second preference vote, I cast mine for the Labour candidate Sadiq Khan. Two reasons I broke with my personal historical precedence: first, I closely follow what is going on in politics and look at the numbers, look at facts and make decisions based on the best outcome I believe not only for myself (though sometimes even that may not be a factor) but what is best for the wider constituency, the wider community or the country as a whole; and second. very specifically in this election, I was horrified at the racist, negative campaigning that Zac Goldsmith ran, despite what his sister may have said afterwards about him being an 'eco-friendly, independent-minded politician with integrity.'
Even before the terrorist sympathiser bashing against Khan had begun, Zac Goldsmith lost my respect when I received a personalised flyer from David Cameron and the Conservative Party lobbying for him. This leaflet began pretty well (I was overjoyed that the Prime Minister had written to me personally), talking about the values of London, how it's a great city etc etc. But then something weird happened. The leaflet went on to identify me as a Hindu (I'll give them this much, I was born into a Hindu family - we do eat steak though!!) and assumed I was a Narendra Modi supporter (I'm not) and claimed that voting for Khan would put my heirlooms at jeopardy (err...no it won't!) My immediate reaction was to place the leaflet in the recycling bin. Then I saw the reaction on the news and social media to this campaigning, and realised I was not alone in my disgust.
I saw what the Conservatives were really about. They had just won a (small) majority national election the previous year, and here they were running a politics of fear campaign.
And when Goldsmith went nuclear with the terrorist sympathiser campaign against Khan, that was it for me. It pointed to the worst of politicians and politics, a power play for the top prize without any consideration for what leadership really entails. This was reminiscent to me of the Trump campaign in the USA, and it brings out the worst in people. We need leaders who have the ability to represent all of us, together as a community, against the negative forces that are genuinely out there. The Conservative London mayoral campaign highlighted nothing positive, nothing optimistic, nothing about what they would do for London. And I had to take a stand in my own small way.
I had read many years ago about Lynton Crosby and how he had advised the Conservatives over a number of years on how to win elections through preying on peoples fears, finding that one single issue about the opposition and hammering it home until nothing else is even spoken about. But I could tell that the climate had changed this time round. That the politics of fear would not work, but that it would take for me to adapt, to put aside my political principles for the greater good.
I could have cast my second preference vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate as well, but I needed to ensure that my vote counted not only for the best candidate, but for the candidate that was running a positive, optimistic campaign (I also needed to punish the Conservative candidate in my own small way). So I cast my second preference vote for the Labour candidate, knowing that when the count went to second preference votes, my vote would truly matter. And it did. It was fantastic to see Khan win a landslide mandate and the politics of fear was outright rejected by "the greatest city in the world" (and there I thought "Qarth" was the greatest city that ever was or ever will be).
I once heard the former chairman of Cobra Beer, Lord Karan Bilimoria, speak at a black-tie dinner when he said that he was confident that he would see an Asian Prime Minister in his lifetime. The USA had just voted its first black president, and I was truly inspired by this notion. Today, we have seen the first British Asian Mayor elected to office in London, and I think Bilimoria's (and my) hope is a step closer to realisation. It's got nothing to do with the colour of his skin, rather it's because it fits into my liberal ideals that the world is a better place when we embrace differences, when we aren't afraid for the sake of being afraid, and we don't succumb to the politics of fear. Black, white, pink or blue, we are all one human race and we must not fall prey to the worst of our demons, because it is up to all of us to carry the torch for the next generation, and teach them what is good and right.
Obama said that he sees his role as President as a relay racer. He is just playing his part in a race, carrying the baton for his stint, and when it's time, he will pass that baton on to the next person. You can only hope that you do your best during your part of the race, that you make the right decisions along the way, and sometimes you will fail, but never give up, never falter, because as long as you're heading in the right direction, as long as you are doing the right thing, the arc may be long but it bends towards justice - and we have to continue to strive to bend it further in our favour.
I am one of those eternal optimists, and today I am optimistic more than ever, that despite negative forces in play, we can unite as a human race and overcome all our challenges. That's why in my small way I've been campaigning for the "In" vote in the upcoming EU referendum, and have hope that the country will not fall prey, once again, to the politics of fear.
Even before the terrorist sympathiser bashing against Khan had begun, Zac Goldsmith lost my respect when I received a personalised flyer from David Cameron and the Conservative Party lobbying for him. This leaflet began pretty well (I was overjoyed that the Prime Minister had written to me personally), talking about the values of London, how it's a great city etc etc. But then something weird happened. The leaflet went on to identify me as a Hindu (I'll give them this much, I was born into a Hindu family - we do eat steak though!!) and assumed I was a Narendra Modi supporter (I'm not) and claimed that voting for Khan would put my heirlooms at jeopardy (err...no it won't!) My immediate reaction was to place the leaflet in the recycling bin. Then I saw the reaction on the news and social media to this campaigning, and realised I was not alone in my disgust.
I saw what the Conservatives were really about. They had just won a (small) majority national election the previous year, and here they were running a politics of fear campaign.
And when Goldsmith went nuclear with the terrorist sympathiser campaign against Khan, that was it for me. It pointed to the worst of politicians and politics, a power play for the top prize without any consideration for what leadership really entails. This was reminiscent to me of the Trump campaign in the USA, and it brings out the worst in people. We need leaders who have the ability to represent all of us, together as a community, against the negative forces that are genuinely out there. The Conservative London mayoral campaign highlighted nothing positive, nothing optimistic, nothing about what they would do for London. And I had to take a stand in my own small way.
I had read many years ago about Lynton Crosby and how he had advised the Conservatives over a number of years on how to win elections through preying on peoples fears, finding that one single issue about the opposition and hammering it home until nothing else is even spoken about. But I could tell that the climate had changed this time round. That the politics of fear would not work, but that it would take for me to adapt, to put aside my political principles for the greater good.
I could have cast my second preference vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate as well, but I needed to ensure that my vote counted not only for the best candidate, but for the candidate that was running a positive, optimistic campaign (I also needed to punish the Conservative candidate in my own small way). So I cast my second preference vote for the Labour candidate, knowing that when the count went to second preference votes, my vote would truly matter. And it did. It was fantastic to see Khan win a landslide mandate and the politics of fear was outright rejected by "the greatest city in the world" (and there I thought "Qarth" was the greatest city that ever was or ever will be).
I once heard the former chairman of Cobra Beer, Lord Karan Bilimoria, speak at a black-tie dinner when he said that he was confident that he would see an Asian Prime Minister in his lifetime. The USA had just voted its first black president, and I was truly inspired by this notion. Today, we have seen the first British Asian Mayor elected to office in London, and I think Bilimoria's (and my) hope is a step closer to realisation. It's got nothing to do with the colour of his skin, rather it's because it fits into my liberal ideals that the world is a better place when we embrace differences, when we aren't afraid for the sake of being afraid, and we don't succumb to the politics of fear. Black, white, pink or blue, we are all one human race and we must not fall prey to the worst of our demons, because it is up to all of us to carry the torch for the next generation, and teach them what is good and right.
Obama said that he sees his role as President as a relay racer. He is just playing his part in a race, carrying the baton for his stint, and when it's time, he will pass that baton on to the next person. You can only hope that you do your best during your part of the race, that you make the right decisions along the way, and sometimes you will fail, but never give up, never falter, because as long as you're heading in the right direction, as long as you are doing the right thing, the arc may be long but it bends towards justice - and we have to continue to strive to bend it further in our favour.
I am one of those eternal optimists, and today I am optimistic more than ever, that despite negative forces in play, we can unite as a human race and overcome all our challenges. That's why in my small way I've been campaigning for the "In" vote in the upcoming EU referendum, and have hope that the country will not fall prey, once again, to the politics of fear.
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