Monday 9 April 2012

Born and Bred Racist

Tory and LD blogs are accusing a Labour leaflet of racism as a candidate is described as "born and bred" in Reading. Now it does sound bad but I thought I would see if the other parties use this phrase also.

In Peckham London the Association of LD Cllrs describes a candidate as " Peckham born and bred" http://www.aldc.org/elections/by-elections-commentary/2406/12/07/2011/Down_in_Dorset_Soaring_in_Sawley

Conservative home describe their candidate in a previous election as "cheltnam born and bred" http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2010/04/lets-raise-1000-for-mark-coote-in-cheltenham.html

Then theres Maidstone http://maidstoneandthewealdlibdems.org.uk/en/page/north

Twickenham http://twickenhamlibdems.co.uk/en/article/2011/496610/munira-wilson-selected-to-fight-the-sw-london-assembly-seat

There were others but I think thats enough examples for now. Will they now try and delete these websites I wonder?

Two of those doing the accusing have in the past been accused of racism themselves.

LD Cllr Warren Swaine on twitter "is it cos I is black" http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/no-apology-racial-slur-cllr-warren-swain

and

Tory Cllr Richard Willis supporting Ian Smith !

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2018296_underfire_tory_im_no_racist_

http://richardwillisuk.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/labours-racist-dog-whistle-campaign/

http://waswasere.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/new-all-time-low.html?m=1

Update:
on her blog Jane Griffiths says of me:
"He cites four party websites, Conservative and LibDem, which use the phrase "born and bred" to describe their candidates. He omits to mention that two of those, Twickenham and Peckham, use the phrase precisely to refer to race, and to indicate that the candidate they are promoting is black, without saying so."

The fact that two cases of using 'born and bred' are BME actually helps make my case that it isnt automatically racist. She goes on to question my ancestry and tries to link English Greens with something in Latvia. Sounds a bit like prejudice to me.

3 comments:

howard thomas said...

This is what you might call a 'storm in a teacup'. Some people of a certain mindset can see racism in just about any statement...........quite often wrongly I might add !

Steve said...

nttex sissortiWhat's up with the phrase "born and bred"? Seems fine to me.

I get more irked by your perpetual omission of apostrophes.

Adrian Windisch said...

Cheers gents, after being attacked by lab tory and LD its nice to get some one agreeing. It does seem dodgy mind.