Home Secretary Sajid Javid has become the first ethnic minority candidate for leadership of the Conservative party, as he too joined the rat race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who intends to step down as Tory leader on June 7. The minister launched his campaign on Monday with a video referencing the party's performance in the European Parliament elections. In the video, Javid said, “As last night's result made all too clear, we must get on and deliver Brexit to ensure there is renewed trust in our democracy.” Javid is the ninth candidate to confirm he is running. As Home Secretary, Javid has struck more popularity with his liberal tone on immigration as compared to May. With his announcement for candidacy on Twitter, he wrote, “First and foremost, we must deliver Brexit.”
He also added, “We must bridge divides to heal communities, reminding us of our shared values as a United Kingdom, and we must strengthen our society and economy so that everyone can benefit from the opportunities which a prosperous nation provides.” In his announcement video, the Secretary who was chief guest at ABPL's Finance, Banking and Insurance magazine launch in the past, touched on his back-story as a second generation immigrant from Pakistan, who grew up on what one newspaper called “Britain's most dangerous street”. He said, “I entered politics to do my best for this country, the country which has done so much for me.”
Sources reveal a key theme of his campaign would be “uniting the country by delivering Brexit, but also bringing divided communities together.” A source said, “From a Conservative party point of view, it is very difficult to win a fourth term, it requires a change candidate. Only Boris and Saj tick that box, and Saj appeals to a wider constituency across the UK.” Javid first entered Parliament in 2010 as the MP for Bromsgrove in the West Midlands. He soon rose through junior ministerial ranks to culture secretary and then business secretary before taking over the Home Office last year.
Just last year, Javid took over the Home Office following Amber Rudd's resignation amid the Windrush scandal. He spoke of wanting to “do right” by the Windrush generation, and promised to be “fair and humane” in how he managed immigration. His assuming of the role came at a time when the Home Office was bundled in chaos with the domestic handling of immigration. While he has faced his shortcomings, it is popular belief that he has handled the situation with a more liberalistic outlook than his predecessors.
Other contestants include Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, Jeremy Hunt, Rory Stewart, Matt Hancock, Esther McVey, Dominic Raab, Graham Brady and Kit Malthouse.
Tory party 'looking at 100 cases of alleged Islamophobia'
Javid's candidacy announcement ironically comes at a time when the Tory party is shrouded with an investigation of alleged Islamophobia. Concerns deepened last week after it was reported that the party was dealing with over 100 alleged cases, including a host of previously unreported ones. The Conservative party is rocked by allegations over the issue, including one from its former chair, Sayeeda Warsi, who has described the problem as “institutional”.
It emerged last week that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had written to the Conservative Party after receiving complaints. The Tory government has also been criticised for refusing to adopt the working definition of Islamophobia proposed by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims. Meanwhile, over 100 accusations of Islamophobia and all other kinds of racism made against people claiming to be Conservative party members have come out in a leaked dossier. ITV News said 19 of the 110 cases had not previously been made public. They reportedly include allegations that Tory members have called Islam a “cult”, which is being allowed to “take over our country”, and calling the Muslim population an “infestation” whose members cause “mayhem wherever they decide to invade.”
Two Conservative local election candidates were suspended last month over allegations they had spread racist and inflammatory material and, in March, a Guardian investigation revealed that 15 Tory councillors who had been suspended over similar allegations later had their membership quietly reinstated.
May bids a teary adieu
In an emotional statement delivered on last Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May said she had done her best to deliver Brexit and it was a matter of “deep regret” that she had been unable to do so. She said she would continue to serve as PM while a Conservative leadership contest took place. She said she would step down as Tory leader on June 7 and had agreed with the chairman of Tory backbenchers that the contest to replace her should begin the following week. Over a dozen other MPs are reportedly considering entering the contest.
In her statement, which was delivered in Downing Street, May said she had done “everything I can” to convince MPs to support the withdrawal deal she had negotiated with the European Union, however it was now in the “best interests of the country for a new prime minister to lead that effort.” She added that in order to deliver Brexit, her successor would have to build agreement in Parliament. May said, “Such a consensus can only reached if those on all sides of the debate are willing to compromise.”
The PM choked as she ended her speech saying, “I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold. The second female prime minister, but certainly not the last. I do so with no ill will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love.”
